21-year-old form key to GI Bill bennies for E-7

21-year-old form key to GI Bill bennies for E-7
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jan 17, 2008 10:29:47 EST

A retired soldier who encountered a paperwork foul-up when he tried to get his GI Bill benefits has learned he will receive those benefits — without having to produce an obscure document from 21 years ago.

“We have resolved the issue,” said Department of Veterans Affairs spokesman Steve Westerfeld, noting that the Defense Manpower Data Center has confirmed that retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Jim Kimmel is eligible for Montgomery GI Bill benefits.

When VA officials told him last November that it would be late February or March before the problem would be resolved, Kimmell said, he realized he couldn’t afford to go to school “just hoping they’ll get it ironed out some day.” By the time the problem was resolved, it was too late for him to start the latest semester.

After all was said and done, Kimmel said, “I was a little disappointed. You expect it to be as advertised. I thought it was a matter of showing you’re enrolled in school.”

Kimmel thought he was doing all he needed to do when he paid his $1,200 for Montgomery GI Bill benefits as a young recruit in his first year of service more than two decades ago.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/military_gibill_fixed_080117w/



uhc comment: This shows how fucked up the system is. No paper, no benefits.

It seems that once you're no longer in combat risking your life then you're just a dependant and expense to the almighty government. This is bad but it's worse for those who need medical and mental treatment and have to fill out or find paperwork for two years.

It's really sickening to tell the truth.