Many Guard Members Left Out of New GI Bill

By Terry Howell

A recent article written by Military.com contributor Tom Philpott, brought to light an eligibility limitation which many have overlooked or ignored. In his article Tom reports about a flaw in the law which excludes certain active duty service time served by members of the National Guard.

Tom writes: "Those activated under Title 10 to serve under the command and control of the president for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are eligible for the new GI Bill after 90 days' deployed. If they serve 36 month cumulative months under Title 10, after Sept. 11, 2001, they get full GI bill benefits."

"But the time Guard members have spent activated under Title 32, -- responding to domestic emergencies or to homeland security missions, or serving fulltime under the Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) program -- will not count toward Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility."

According to the article, this means Guard members who protected the homeland after the 9/11 attacks, responded to Hurricane Katrina, and helped bolster border security in 2007-2008 could be excluded from the Post-9/11 GI Bill if they don't have 90 or more days under Title 10 orders serving in "contingency operations."

Seems wrong. Maybe its time to contact your elected officials and let them know how you feel.

Read the full article...

Comments

[jcan]

Here's a great way to avoid all these retirement point problems and post 9/11 GI Bill issues. Join the reserve, not the guard. And if you are guard, just transfer, its easy. >.>

Another problem solved, now on to world peace!

[Dail]

I am a AGR soldier with the reserves. I am eligible for the post 9/11 GI Bill. As to the remark as to AGR time under Title 32 with the NG it should and is suppose to count towards retirement as well as Title 32 mobilization with the Guard. I was activated under Title 32 witht the SCARNG and all my time mobilized has counted towards retirement.

[SGT. W. Banks]

I have a total of 17 years 1980-1997, active and reserve combine. I notice recently, that the 5 points we use to get are no longer given when applying for certain gov. jobs. Also, Your would think that the gov. would automaticlly pay for college for us. Just look at the trillions they get away to other country. I regret putting my life on the line. Now both my sons in service. It is time for the gov. to do the right things for all vets!

[hoagybear]

Hello I have been reading some of the post and I had no idea that the country was so far gone, I was in the army in1973/1975. I have never regestered with the v a. and it sounds like it all about the same, I feel sad for that we (the whole damm u s a ) has forgotton about what is expected from us and we have no control. we are ask to lie down and die in some cesspool land and when we come home,it's actuly worse then what we came out of!!! I feel as soon as you are deployed that all the house payments are at least cut in half if the couples join then it need to stop till they get back also I have read that usa has a better bodyarmor for the bottom sides of tank and humvees this should be of top importance above all eles. I wish there was something I could do personaly to help out our vets. and if anybody can think of something please forward the idea to to tomsdeal@yahoo maybe we could stage a cross country motorcycle run handing out lititure all the way!!! telling people just how the vets of todays army are getting the shaft I look at all the free press and mida coverage michael jackson got and the Farrah fawset never got any by comparison.

[matt]

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[matt]

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[a10srock]

This is another way to get Guard personnel to do the normal full-time work but get no credit for it. I was AGR [Title 32 Full-time Stateside Duty] for 9 months and my unit trained to go perform our GWOT mission every single day. In fact, both my unit and I deployed to Iraq under Title 10 orders shortly after my Title 32 time was up. Yet the Title 32 time does not count for the GI Bill and some of it doesn't even count toward my retirement points. Why not?

[matt]

To: CW4 Ed Wilkerson, this is so wrong I can scream. I too was deployed 3 times for a total of 15 months. I lost my civilian retirement for all that time, not to mention I have never received a promotion since my first after deployment. (Please don't anyone tell me that illegal! There is no lawyer who would take it.)
I think IAVA might be a place for us to start. Thanks.

[S Pasko]

I served 8 years total service and in 2005 was sent for training to be deployed to Iraq with my spouse who also was deployed and is still in the NG and has active duty as well for a total of 25 years.
My spouse went to Iraq without me because I was injured while still in training at Camp Shelby MS. I used my GI Bill prior to deployment and recieved a degree but have been unable to pay back my stafford loans because of my disability which I recieve 20 percent. I cannot work. I had seven herniated discs one of which was broken and made its way into my spine landing on my sciatic nerve. I had surgery to removed that part of my lumbar disc. I am in pain constantly and take pain killers every day. How do I pay my student loans back now? I was not helped by the Army when in Med Hold (Fort Campbell Kentucky)and because I was in such pain I signed a piece of paper to go back to my unit and awaited my ETS acouple months later. I finally got help from a civilian Dr. which took awhile for me to figure out what an MRI was and its significance. Because my civilian Dr. wanted to just give me more pain killers. I had to do my own research and beg to get a referral for the MRI. I am so depressed about all of this but I am at a loss as to what to do. The first time I filed a claim it was denied the second time they gave me 20 percent. My medicine isn't covered and it cost a lot. Am I considered expendable?
The main reason I took out Stafford Loans besides the GI Bill to begin with was the fact that I had five chidren and I was a single mother from 1999-2002. It also took till 2001 for me to finally get the GI Bill so meantime I did need the Stafford Loans to get the degree.
I tried to make a better life for my children and I sacrificed because of this and also because of my love for our Country but I was not alone my children have sacrificed also.
Is there somthing I can do to be productive enough to make enough money to do something...to pay my loans back? I just don't want to believe I can't I want to believe I can. I would also like to add that the cost of the pain managment and surgery and doctor visits have never been fully paid. I am in a bad situation and my complaints will never outway my time in service for sure but I still have legitimate reasons for the ones I have.

[t]

It is truely sad , I have never serve in the ARM FORCES. I truely feel anyone who serves in the Arm Forces whether national guard or reserves should be entitle to free education period .

[rouse m.]

i am not active now . but was prior to 911 and did not sign up for the gi bill. how ever any one who serves wether national guard, coast guard ,regular army, navy , air force or marine. if they serve in war time they all take the same risks and should be treated the same and with the same benefits no matter what congress says this should be put to a vote of the people ,not left to poloticians.

[CW4 Ed Wilkerson]

Time deployed also does not count toward early Reserve/NG retirement if you were deployed prior to January 28, 2008. For all reservist and NG's who were deployed for 1 year and could retire at 59 rather than age 60 if they were deployed AFTER
January 28, 2008, the benefit of early retirement does not apply to servicemen deployed after 9-11 and before January 28, 2008. In other words, your service doesn't count. This happened under Bush's term so I can't blame Obama for this one.

[Lynn3765]

CPL Browning..you said you were on active duty for 4 years prior to 9/11. Did you contribute in to the Montgomery GI Bill? The post 9/11 is just that, for people who were serving after 9/11. Time prior to that wouldn't count.

[T.Day]

This is not all AGR are missing out on. For years and now even if the soldier is serving in Iraq or Afghanistan and reinlist they do not get a bouns. My AGR solider was told he should just feel blessed he is a AGR soldier. Why is he less important as a retained soldier than others. You know even his family could use the bouns as well as the education benefits of the GI bill.

[CPL Browning]

Why doesn't my Active time count? Because it was prior to 9/11 it is any less important as time served? I'm still in like many others, this is my point. If I hadn't returned to service I could see why, but I did.

[CPL Browning]

What bothers me is the fact that I served four years active duty prior to 9/11, and now I'm in the Guard without activation time with 11 years total service and I am not eligible for many benefits. There are so many in my shoes it is ridiculous, and frustrating to say the least.