National Guard Troops Denied Benefits After Longest Deployment Of Iraq War

[meegbear]

Source: Raw Story | WCSH 6 News

When they came home from Iraq, 2,600 members of the Minnesota National Guard had been deployed longer than any other ground combat unit. The tour lasted 22 months and had been extended as part of President Bush's surge.

1st Lt. Jon Anderson said he never expected to come home to this: A government refusing to pay education benefits he says he should have earned under the GI bill.

<snip>

Anderson's orders, and the orders of 1,161 other Minnesota guard members, were written for 729 days.

Had they been written for 730 days, just one day more, the soldiers would receive those benefits to pay for school.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=71741

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Incredible, what a convenient loophole. :grr:

[BOSSHOG]

1. INTENTIONALLY written that way

If that does not require congressional intervention nothing does. However, fake soldiers should not get GI benefits.

[Ian David]

2. Senator Franken will solve this problem soon enough. n/t

[rodeodance]

7. wish he had his Radio show right now.

[NYVet]

3. Check this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=259x4902

[Roland99]

4. Here is this story in General >>>

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1978269

[meegbear]

6. Thanks!

:hi:

[Rambis]

5. The GI bill guy

just handed me a written copy of this :crazy:

[BushOut06]

8. National Guard Troops Denied Benefits After Longest Deployment Of Iraq War

Source: WCSH

1st Lt. Jon Anderson said he never expected to come home to this: A government refusing to pay education benefits he says he should have earned under the GI bill.

"It's pretty much a slap in the face," Anderson said. "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."

Anderson's orders, and the orders of 1,161 other Minnesota guard members, were written for 729 days.

Had they been written for 730 days, just one day more, the soldiers would receive those benefits to pay for school.


Read more: http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=71741

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Hey Rush Limbaugh - why don't you talk about stuff like this, and the Bush admin screwing other veterans out of their benefits?

[truthisfreedom]

9. Wow. What an incredibly cynical ploy. Gain their trust, work them nearly to death, and cheat them

out of their hard-earned education. Just totally sick.

My respect for the leadership of the armed services has just dropped to zero.

[burrowowl]

10. The Maladministration

can't give benefits to soldiers, they have to pay Blcackwater!

:puke:

[Supersedeas]

11. Dimson's plan is working flawlessly

[Buns_of_Fire]

12. What an incredibly tacky move

And how totally consistent with the boosh/rumfilled "do it on the cheap" theory of warfare.

[trof]

13. I was a guard troop - no benefits.

1963-1971
DOD has always very careful to exclude us.
If you served a year or more on active duty, you qualified for some benes.

But the 55 weeks I spent on active duty for pilot training was specifically excluded. It was classified as "active duty for training" and didn't count.

I always figured that since I hadn't been sent anywhere that people were shooting at me, the denial of any GI benefits kind of evened out.

But if ANYBODY ever deserved FULL military benefits, these troops do.
For shame Bush**, congress, and DOD.
:-(