MN National Guard - Longest Deployment, No G.I. Bill

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (NBC) -- 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.

1st Lt. Jon Anderson said 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."

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.

"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 and Norm Coleman.

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 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."
NBC

If those guys had been deployed longer than any other ground combat unit, is anybody getting these benefits that kick in on day 730? Would it require multiple tours to qualify, or is it just a carrot on a stick that nobody actually gets?

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Originally Posted by ForrestBlack

If those guys had been deployed longer than any other ground combat unit, is anybody getting these benefits that kick in on day 730? Would it require multiple tours to qualify, or is it just a carrot on a stick that nobody actually gets?

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I'm unclear on that as well. I think it may be because they were a National Guard Unit. I'll try to find out. One day though, the pettiness would be funny were it not so unjust.

JT

At least they can be happy knowing they served thier country

its shit like this thats making me really rethink the military, then again, im not in it for the money, im in it for that oil!

Thanks for at least making me laugh for a sec about it.:1orglaugh This is gonna suck for my city and state. We have some folks coming home really fucked-up as it is. The Army says they're "looking into it" uh yeah.

JT

whaaaaat? the army, fuck soldiers over?

neeeeeeeever.

i don't believe it.....


....well, hopefully they aren't relying on the VA to take care of their health care either. there have been some WONDERFUL stories about that lately.

its disgusting, but not surprising. if you get paid for overtime if your shift is longer than 10 hours long, would you be surprised to see the boss only ever rosters you on for 9 1/2 hour shifts? much smaller scale, but its really the same thing. leaving it to the very last day though, thats cruel.

I just read our fearless Senators Coleman and Klobuchar are "working on the issue" ugh. I hope something does come of it.

To me: It raises a larger question. The soldiers are going to come home. The V.A. is malfunction junction in many areas. In all seriousness, let's treat them right. We're going to see a lot of young folks coming home who will never be the same again. The government will likely fail them. As human beings, let's just try to treat them right. If we do not, I think we fail ourselves worse than the war itself.

I know folks here are decent and honorable. Folks know how to dissent without hurting the individuals who put their lives on the line, watched their friends blown to bits, and came back FUBAR. Suicide of Vietnam Vets exceeded the actual death rate in country sometime during the 1980s. I think we may see this play out yet again.

None of us have the cash to care for them directly. We can't fix them. I would just hope anyone take them into consideration. It will have been more about them than us when all is said and done (end rant)

JT

We can't afford to treat them right.

We are BROKE.

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Originally Posted by Bikerpunk

We can't afford to treat them right.

We are BROKE.

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By we, I am meaning decent treatment in a private capacity. Regardless of what happens up here, it seems govt is already starting to punt.

JT

THE GOVERNMENT IS BROKE.

Do you know how much money it's borrowing just to keep this shenanigan bullshit going?

Hey, imagine the size of the deficit and how fucked the dollar will be when we invade Iran.

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Originally Posted by Bikerpunk

THE GOVERNMENT IS BROKE.

Do you know how much money it's borrowing just to keep this shenanigan bullshit going?

Hey, imagine the size of the deficit and how fucked the dollar will be when we invade Iran.

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I know the govt is broke BP. I'm talking about myself and the other citizens treating the returning soldiers with decency and dignity. They are hurting and, right or wrong, deserve our respect.

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear. I just have never fathomed what some put folks thru when they returned from Vietnam.

Iran ugh. I don't know what to say at this point. Noone believes me when I state my belief that it may happen.

JT