Combat can be complicated. Paying for college when you get home shouldn’t be.
Effective August 1, 2008, our military has a new GI Bill for servicemen and veterans, including reservists, who have served at least 90 days combat duty since 9/11.
Now that bill is going into effect, there are lots of questions and the VA’s system to claim GI Bill benefits is complicated.
IAVA wants to make sure all veterans know how to maximize their new benefits. That’s why they’ve launched a public outreach campaign anchored by the innovative website, www.NewGIBill.org.
IAVA intends to follow up with more updates on applying for the benefits.
Definitely a positive step that will pay benefits for the well-deserving veteran and the nation as a whole. It’s the least we can do.
What does anyone think the dearth of comments on this subject has to say about us? Where are all the folks with “Support Our Troops” bumper stickers?
Here is our Morgan McDermott American Legion Post #7 – Web Site Link
http://morganmcdermottpost7.com/index.htm
Please Vist it and visit us
Thanks
Joe Miller
Adjutant
S.A.L (Sons of the American Legion)
Morgan McDermott Squadron #7
How timely that you post this on the heals of leftfields’ comment, as there is no better support of the troops then the American Legion.
“Support the Troops” is a fine mind state to adopt, particularly after the aberrant spirit of the late 60’s and 7o’s. We have learned well to separate the war from the warrior…thank God. Many souls were damaged by the aftermath of the Vietnam war. It nearly did in the VFW and Legion, as men of combat did not want to join. Many know that at one point we were not even permitted to join as we were not veterans of a “foreign war”, as there was no declaration of war. There is no declaration now either, but we have learned from those days to not alienate those that have placed themselves in harms way.
As for “support the troops”, there truly is not much done by the average Joe, not because of lack of desire, but a lack of knowing what to do. The passing of a new GI Bill is huge, so I would encourage every soldier you may know to take advantage of these new provisions, they may not last forever. At least this GI Bill is not rigged to feed students into the Bank loans programs, because they could not get enough on the GI Bill to pay tuition. It seems to me that many of those school loans should be forgiven, if they came from a Bank that got a bailout. Why would you not bail out the men and women who defended the very system in which banking operates? Now there is something you can work on next week.
Another project would be to get the State of Arizona to provide tuition waivers for the dependents of 100% Disabled Veterans, as do many other states. A fully disabled veterans income will be diminished for life, making it difficult for their dependents to go to college. These waivers of tuition would be like the GI Bill as they would produce a trained and educated populace that will pay more taxes sooner.
For all those who want to “Support the Troops” write your State Legislator an, “get er done.” Show the troops you can actually help them with something a bit more practical then a bumper sticker.