by WCSH, a NBC affiliate in Portland, Maine, reports that members of the Minnesota National Guard, who had been deployed in Iraq for 22 months, are being denied GI Bill education benefits.
[1st Lt. Jon] 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.
More:
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.”
…
“Which would be allowing the soldiers an extra $500 to $800 a month.”
…
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.”
More:
“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,” [platoon leader John] Hobot said.
I would hope so too.
A h/t goes to Charles @ LGF, who wonders if the story is true.
Perhaps this is a “clerical error” or some such tripe that can be rectified. At the moment the story has the stench of unpleasant truth about it.
