Education Benefit Glitch Hits 1,300 Soldiers

By: fedweek

Nearly half of the 2,600 members of the Minnesota National Guard’s 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division returned from Iraq and were released from active duty barely short of the 24 months required to be eligible for higher Montgomery GI Bill payments. (Upon 24 months of active duty, benefits include up to $800 per month for full-time education, while members activated for less than 24 months rate no more than $282.) According to officials, the Army Board for Correction of Military Records will review the records on a case-by-case basis. Meanwhile, Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., has introduced legislation to cover the soldiers without the need for individual reviews.