Saturday, October 06, 2007

Support the troops - Republican style

The Wisconsin Army National Guard is leading the Army in the amount of time served in Iraq. After several extensions, the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota National Guard, has served 22 months in Iraq, more time than any other Army unit in the military. They are also finding out how how their service is rewarded, as many of them are being screwed over in GI Bill educational benefits - by design.

For a National Guard unit there are two levels of GI Bill educational benefits. One level is for soldiers who served less than two years and another, much more generous is for soldiers who have served two years and over. The difference is determined by how many days were served on active duty, with two years being 730 or more days of active duty. When the 2600 soldiers of the 1/34 Infantry came home and was demobilized recently, they learned that a large number of them were released from active duty with only 729 days total duty, one day short of eligibility for the higher educational benefits under the G.I. Bill.

There are a number of differences between the two levels of benefits, but one of the differences is that for students who take full time training the monthly benefit for service of 729 days or less is $282 a month. For service of 730 days or more, it is $800 a month. The Minnesota National Guard believes that any soldier who served 20 months or more in Iraq should get the higher benefit.

The fact that so many were demobilized exactly one day short of eligibility for the higher benefit strongly suggests that the timing was no accident. That single day will save the Army a lot of GI Bill money. Who cares that they are the longest serving combat military unit in the Republican War in Iraq?

This is how the Republican support the troops.

[Source: Associated Press.]

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