Bill offers better GI Bill for Guard, reserve

[unhappycamper]

Bill offers better GI Bill for Guard, reserve
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Apr 17, 2008 17:14:50 EDT

A proposal for a simplified and more generous GI Bill for National Guard and reserve members was unveiled Wednesday by a bipartisan group of 10 senators.

The Reserve Educational Assistance Program Enhancement Act would allow reservists who serve multiple deployments to accumulate credit toward larger education benefits.

Frank Yoakum, legislative director of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, which supports the change, said the bill would improve current law in three ways.

“Reports vary, but most agree that over 150,000 reservists have served multiple tours in combat zones since America was attacked 6½ years ago,” Yoakum said. “Although these reservists may earn the same benefits on their first deployment, there is no accrual of benefits for successive deployments. This legislation fixes that inequity.”

The bill would replace the current three-tiered formula for education benefits for mobilized reservists with a single formula.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/04/military_guardreserve_gibill_041708w/