Garezworm @ Un1xmaSterS

Editorial: Active reservists deserve better college benefits

November 28th, 2006

One of the benefits the military offers to potential recruits as an enticement to enlist â€” really, the marquee benefit â€” is money for a college education. Carry a pack for a few years, they say, and we'll give you thousands of dollars to get that degree. One of the delineations in that compensation is between active-duty sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines and their reservist counterparts, which makes sense. Active members of the military serve every hour of every day; reservists, as a general rule, serve a weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. Their benefits should be different. Except in times like these, when a reservist or National Guardsman is just as likely as an active soldier to be in a combat zone. And that's when the government is failing to recognize a job well done. The Montgomery GI Bill, which addresses college benefits for the military and hasn't been updated in 21 years, offers up to $1,075 a month for active members. For reservists, the ceiling is $309. Again, that's fair. But the travesty comes when reservists and guardsmen are called to active duty, as so many have been over the last several years in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even as they stand next to "active" soldiers, facing the same dangers, they only receive up to $860 per month, and that's if they serve two consecutive years on active duty. Even worse, active members have 10 years to use their benefits after they leave the service. Reservists must use them while still enlisted. That's not right, plain and simple â€” especially when we realize that about one out of every four casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan is a reservist. Equal jobs deserve equal pay, and lawmakers â€” led by Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark. â€” have pitched a change in the GI Bill to make that so. The bill hasn't made it out of committee, but will be reintroduced next year. The new Democratic majority would be wise to enact it. There's no denying it will cost the U.S. more money. But in a time when everyone wants to jump aboard the military bandwagon, and as reservists play a much larger role than ever in our war strategy, it's time to acknowledge that our military forces are on the same footing when it comes to serving our country. Bullets have no names on them, and don't care about someone's military status on the battlefield. Neither should we. Found here. Sphere: Related Content

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Editorial: Active reservists deserve better college benefits

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