President Obama to U.S. troops: Get your money!

Two weeks ago, The Washington Post reported that the military was struggling to convince U.S. troops that many of them were eligible for back pay because they had remained on duty beyond their original discharge date. The military had mailed letters to eligible troops and veterans and mounted an extensive publicity campaign.

The reaction from many of them was skeptical. Free money? Couldn't be.

Now, following The Post's story, the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs are calling in major PR support: President Obama.

In a new Web video, the president is encouraging active duty troops and veterans who were subject to the military's "stop loss" policy to apply for the special retroactive pay to which they are entitled.

"As your commander in chief, I'm here to tell you that this is no gimmick or trick," Obama said in the video. "You worked hard. You earned this money. It doesn't matter whether you were active or reserve, whether you're a veteran who experienced 'stop loss' or the survivor of a service member who did -- if your service was extended, you're eligible."