Amid great celebration and expectations, the bill providing Educational Assistance for Members of the Armed Forces Who Serve After September 11, 2001, more commonly known as the Post 9/11 GI Bill, was hurriedly enacted as part of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 Public Law 110-252 but with one glaring omission; Congress excluded all National Guard Title 32 active duty service after 9/11 from qualifying for benefits under this program.
The impact of this legislation is that Congress has effectively denied benefits to our dedicated men and women who have served our country on Title 32 active duty post 9/11 as AGRs and in mobilized operations such as Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Jump Start, and in the critically needed airport security operations in the desperate days immediately following the 9/11 attacks on the homeland. What is particularly upsetting is the fact that the bill provides benefits for domestic active duty service of Reserve AGRs and other active forces on Title 10 orders who are performing virtually the identical service as our National Guard AGRs and other members on Title 32 orders who are denied the same benefits.
H.R. 3554, introduced by Representative David Loebsack (D-IA), and S. 1668 introduced by Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), now before the 111th Congress would include Title 32 active duty in the calculation of benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill. These bills will need wide co sponsorship and support in Congress to succeed.
It is important to note that when it passed the Post 9/11 GI Bill, Congress rightfully disregarded its normal budgeting concerns which annually block legislation needed to correct longstanding benefit inequities faced by the National Guard. Money was not an object when the post 9/11 GI Bill was enacted and it should not now be a bar to taking this corrective action.
Congress needs your immediate input to initiate action to correct the unintentional discriminating language in the Post 9/11 GI Bill. In addition to using the “Write to Congress” feature set forth below, you can call the local district office of your Senators and Representative as well as your local legislators and community leaders at the grass roots level to express your views. Your communities will also feel the effects from the denial of your benefits. The time to act is now. Your email, letter or call could make the difference.
