Posted on 10/04/2007 9:15:19 AM PDT by doc30
Iraq vets say Pentagon is denying benefits
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.
And 1st Lt. Jon Anderson says 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."
Here's what happened: 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 -- one day more -- the soldiers would receive those benefits to pay for school.
"Which would be allowing the soldiers an extra $500 to $800 a month," Anderson said.
That money would help him pay for his master's degree in public administration.
It would help Anderson's fellow platoon leader, John Hobot, pay for a degree in law enforcement.
"I would assume, and I would hope, that when I get back from a deployment of 22 months, my senior leadership in Washington -- (the leadership) that extended us in the first place -- would take care of us once we got home," Hobot said.
Both Hobot and Anderson believe the Pentagon deliberately wrote orders for 729 days instead of 730.
Now six of Minnesota's members of the House of Representatives have asked the Secretary of the Army to look into it.
So have Senators Amy Klobuchar (D) and Norm Coleman (R).
Klobuchar said the GI money "shouldn't be tied up in red tape," and Coleman said it's "simply irresponsible to deny education benefits to those soldiers who just completed the longest tour of duty of any unit in Iraq."
Anderson said the soldiers he oversaw in his platoon expected that money to be here when they come home.
"I had 23 guys under my command," Anderson said. "I promised to take care of them. And I'm not going to end taking care of them when this deployment is over, and it's not over until this is solved."
The Army did not respond to KARE11's questions Tuesday afternoon.
Senators Klobuchar and Coleman released a joint statement saying the Army secretary, Pete Geren, is looking into this personally. And they say Geren asked a review board to expedite its review so the matter could be solved by next semester.
Minnesota National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Kevin Olson said the soldiers are "victims of a significant injustice."
Just an update on this story, but Err Amerika is running with it like crazy right now. They were interviewing the Lt. mentioned in the story I posted. It is pretty bad when those bastards outflank conservative talk radio on this issue. Arrgh!
These are 'occupations' that exist only due to forced taxation. That have little to no free market value. Besides, 'Public Administration' interesting? Please.
"He’s exactly they type of guy we should have managing our society. Instead we have guys like you. Thats why everyone hates bureaucrats"
There is no popular evidence that people dislike bureaucracies. Many people say they do, but no one has, to my knoledge, ever, at all, ever gotten rid of a single one. They have been asking, getting and paying for them for over a hundred years. What people don't like, like these two, is when the rules do apply to them. If they stayed two more days, I doubt either would say, "hey, you know what, we just squeaked in and this is for guys who are here on their ( fill in )tour. Let's turn it down." Nope, one day short it's a crime. One day over we deserve it.
Lastly, going to collage is already a grossly subsidized enterprise. The idea that fishermen, waitresses, truck drivers, miners and others should be further taxed for these two type of 'degrees', or any other, is sickening.
Educational benefits for Vietnam era service were a JOKE.
You must be joking? What universe do you live in?
” Many people say they do, but no one has, to my knoledge, ever, at all, ever gotten rid of a single one. “
Oh yes they have. Why do you think they have metal detectors and CCTV in court houses and capitals? Why do government building have armed guards and fences topped with razor wire and anti vehicle barriers? Murder is against the law, and morally reprehensible, so it doesn’t happen often, especially with all the precautions, but bureaucrats have many times more people who dream of offing them, than the average citizen does. People hate bureaucrats with a white hot passion. I can’t believe you didn’t know that? Everyone else does.
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