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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The federal Justice Department has filed a

decree to resolve a suit with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. that it filed on

behalf of a former airman.

The suit, filed in March in U.S. District Court in Orlando,

claimed the company didn't give Sean Thornton his job back after he

was discharged from the military. It claimed Wal-Mart violated the

Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994

by failing to reinstate him as a cashier at an Orange City store

after he was discharged.

Under a consent decree the Justice Department filed Thursday,

Wal-Mart would be required to pay Thornton $12,000 in back pay,

less legally required employee income tax withholding and other

statutory employee deductions, according to court documents.

Messages left by The Associated Press with attorneys who worked

on the case were not immediately returned.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

APNP-05-01-08 1709CDT