Army Denies Education Benefits To National Guard Troops Who Served 22 Months In Iraq

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/10/04/national-guard-education/

Army Denies Education Benefits To National Guard Troops Who Served 22 Months In Iraq

Approximately 2,600 members of the Minnesota National Guard recently returned home after serving multiple tours of duty in Iraq. They served 22 months — “longer than any other ground combat unit” — recieved nine fatalities, and were awarded dozens of Purple Hearts.

But the Army wrote the orders for 1,162 of these soldiers for 729 days, making them ineligible for full educational benefits under the GI Bill, which requires written orders saying they were deployed for 730 days or more. These soldiers were shorted more than $200 per month for college.

First Lt. Jon Anderson believes that the military deliberately cut short their orders to avoid paying the soldiers’ education benefits:

It’s pretty much a slap in the face. I think it was a scheme to save money, personally. I think it was a leadership failure by the senior Washington leadership…once again failing the soldiers.

Watch CNN’s report on the issue at link~

Six members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation, as well as Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D) and Norm Coleman (R), have asked Secretary of the Army Pete Geren to investigate the matter. Coleman said that it’s “simply irresponsible to deny education benefits to those soldiers who just completed the longest tour of duty of any unit in Iraq.”

Geren has reportedly assured the lawmakers that the cases “will be reviewed on an expedited basis, so that those who qualify can attend school next semester.”

[Selatius]

1. Bush's response: They should've been mercenaries. They would've been paid 4x better.

More money for contractors. No money for soldiers.

[MrScorpio]

2. Of course, the Army did that shit deliberately

They do underhanded crap against the troops ALL THE TIME.

That was just the latest manifestation.

[BootinUp]

3. but they win a box of republican campaign pins. nt/

[blondeatlast]

4. Have I mentioned lately how much I despise the GOP?

Now seems a good time to do so.

:puke:

[babylonsister]

6. I know; it's beyond pathetic. Support the troops...

:nuke: :grr:

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Effin' bait and switch. One of the reasons these kids joined the NG was to go to college.

[jimshoes]

7. Way to support the troops

Think the rest of America will catch on to this criminal group in office? And what a fucking cheap and underhanded way to screw the same guys who lay down their lives for country. Hope this gets a lot of coverage.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. The bean counters who came up with this brilliant idea, should be forced

to look in the eye of every soldier they shorted.

[JHB]

15. Why such a light pennance?

Ship'em to Iraq and let them try manning checkpoints for (almost) two years.

[lonestarnot]

9. Well Uncle Sam isn't turning out to be who they thought he was.

Stunner there.

[ManiacJoe]

10. We are missing some numbers somewhere.

The 22 months only comes to 669 days, well short (2 months) of the needed 730, even if that is what the orders had said.

And, yes, the 729 vs 730 was done on purpose purely for budget reasons.

[Roland99]

17. 30 days or so on either end for prepping to deploy and prepping to come home?

[ManiacJoe]

19. Always a possibility.

Like I said, we are missing some numbers to make the math work.

[OneBlueSky]

11. BushCo's treatment of combat veterans is criminal . . .

they should be impeached just for that -- not to mention the hundreds of other crimes they've committed . . . everything from war crimes to crimes against humanity to ecocide . . .

[mvccd1000]

12. That's pathetic, and that's NOT the way most military units do it.

During the years between the gulf wars, when the Navy was enforcing the "no-fly zone" in Iraq, the Persian Gulf was not considered a combat zone, and was therefore not tax exempt. Most ships would find a way to sail into the Bosnian theater of operations so they would qualify for those benefits.

It's sad that this unit's command did not stick up for it in a similar manner.

[rucky]

13. Save this article for any kids considering enlistment. n/t

[notadmblnd]

14. They've been doing crap like this in the private sector for years

Ford, GM, Chrysler and many other companies. Hire people and lay them off just before they get their time in so they don't have to pay benefits. Why wouldn't this government take their cues from the corporations that own them?

[Roland99]

16. *ONE* day shy?? Who's the uncaring bastard that purposefully wrote those orders??? Rummy himself?!

[fed-up]

18. kr nt