Bipartisan Group Unveils Legislation

Bipartisan Group Unveils Legislation

U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and U.S. Representative Vic Snyder (D-AR), along with original cosponsors Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representatives John Boozman (R-AR) and Stephanie Herseth (D-SD), today introduced legislation that seeks to make adequate and equitable benefits for the Guard and Reserve components of our Armed Forces. The "Total Force G.I. Bill" aims to better reflect a comprehensive "total force" concept that ensures members of the Selected Reserve receive educational benefits that match their increased service to the nation.

The lawmakers were joined at the announcement by the "Partnership for Veterans' Education," a coalition of military, veterans, and higher education groups who have endorsed the legislation.

Members of the Guard and Reserve components of our Armed Forces continue to make an essential contribution to support our missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere around the world. Although more than 500,000 of these brave men and women have been called up since September 11, 2001, and more than 70,000 have pulled two or more tours of duty, they are denied educational benefits that are commensurate with their service. Despite our nation's increased reliance upon our Selected Reserve, the value of their standard Montgomery G.I. Bill (MGIB) benefits has fallen over the last 20 years from 47 percent to 29 percent of Active Duty benefits. In addition, they continue to be the only benefits that members of the Selected Reserve who serve activated duty in the Global War on Terror cannot access once they separate from service.

"Since the tragic events of September 11, an increasing number of our country's Selected Reserve members have been called upon for activated duty," Lincoln said. "Currently, 1,756 Arkansas reservists serve on activated duty. Thousands of others have been called to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite our nation's increased reliance upon our citizen soldiers, their benefits have not increased proportionately with their sacrifice. The Total Force GI Bill is an important step in addressing this inequity for these brave men and women who serve with distinction in hostile environments to defend the freedoms we cherish as Americans."

Said HASC Military Personnel Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Vic Snyder, "We now have a Total Force, and the Guard and Reserve are no longer just a strategic reserve to be called up in case of a global war; they have become an operational force on whom we rely constantly. It is necessary to modernize the Reserve Montgomery GI Bill to reflect a changing military."

"Since World War II, the GI bill has provided educational benefits to millions of service members returning from duty. The GI Bill has been a critical tool to help veterans readjust to civilian life," said Senator Collins. "But we need to recognize that the role of the National Guard and Reserve has evolved in the years since the September 11th attacks. It is only fair that we allow National Guard and Reserve members who are serving side by side with their active duty colleagues to earn the same GI benefits that all our citizen soldiers deserve."

"The Guard and Reserve are our friends, neighbors, and co-workers, and it is imperative that we do right by them," Boozman said. "The current situation is where you have different benefits for the same service. The contribution from our reservists and Guard members is the equivalent of those of our regular military and we need to reward these citizen-soldiers as we do their active-duty counterparts. I am proud to be working with fellow Arkansans and a bipartisan group in both houses to pass a bill which is as common-sense as you can get."

Rep. Herseth, Chairwoman of the Veterans' Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, said, "In South Dakota and across the nation, National Guard and Reserve units have served with honor and distinction. This bill will better reflect the reality of today's military and ensure that the enormous contribution and sacrifice of Guard and Reserve servicemembers are more equitably recognized."

The Total Force GI Bill would do the following:

* Consolidate the Active Duty and Selected Reserve MGIB programs under one authority by transferring them into the jurisdiction of the Veterans Affairs Committee and the Veterans Administration. This would provide a cleaner, simpler arrangement of MGIB benefits that would put an end to inconsistent and inequitable structuring of benefits.
* Ensure that Selected Reserve MGIB benefits would rise in proportionality with Active Duty MGIB rate increases. This would help address the growing inequity of benefits between the two.
* Provide a 10-year portability for Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) benefits. Unlike Active Duty servicemen, members of the Selected Reserve must forfeit all of these benefits, which are earned on activated duty in the Global War on Terrorism, once they separate from service.
* Provide an accruable month per month Active Duty rate for mobilized members of the Selected Reserve. Individuals can accrue Active Duty MGIB benefits up to the maximum allowable in law (36 months at $1,075 per month, currently).

http://www.boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=58354