Thursday, October 11, 2007
Governor Urges Education Benefits To Be Given To Iowa National Guard Soldiers
Governor Sends Letter Expressing “Extreme Disappointment” in Denial of Benefits for 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Guard Soldiers
DES MOINES — In a letter sent today to Army Secretary Pete Geren, Governor Culver expressed “extreme disappointment with the denial of educational benefits to members of the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry, Iowa National Guard.”
Members of the 1-133rd, referred to as the “Ironman Battalion” returned home to Iowa from an extended tour of duty in Iraq just over two months ago. The 600 Iowa men and women were deployed for 22 months serving the longest deployment by an Iowa unit since World War II.
During their time in Iraq:
- 26 earned Bronze Stars, with 3 of those cited for valor;
- 11 Army commendation metals for Valor;
- Conducted more than 500 combat missions;
- More than 30 earned the Purple Heart;
- Built more than 29 schools in Iraq.
Now, after returning home, it appears their much-deserved education benefits could be in jeopardy. To qualify for Montgomery GI Bill educational benefits, soldiers are required to serve 20 consecutive months on active duty, with orders reflecting a call to active duty of 730 days. Despite exceeding the 20 month requirement, many members of the 1-133rd are currently being denied these benefits because the wording of their orders leave their active duty call several days short of the 730 day requirement.
Montgomery GI Bill benefits allow soldiers to receive approximately $900 per month in educational benefits. If a soldier does not qualify for the GI Bill benefits, they qualify for $660 in educational benefits which expire upon deactivation from the Guard.
In his letter, Governor Culver wrote, “Beyond our respect, these soldiers deserve the benefits provided by a grateful nation for their honorable service. Anything less is simply unacceptable. I respectfully ask you to reconsider this decision and grant the rightfully-deserved Chapter 30 educational benefits to these returning soldiers who served only a handful of days short of the 730 day requirement.”
There has been some recent, promising news. The National Guard bureau is working with the Army Board of Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) to determine if a correction to the records is warranted for the Soldiers of the 1-133rd. Additionally, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army has assured us that an “expedite" directive will move the application rapidity.
“These are encouraging signs and, quite frankly, we expect results,” said Governor Culver.
The Iowa National Guard will advise its Soldiers to submit applications to the ABCMR requesting the board to amend their orders to show an obligated period of active duty of not to exceed 730 days. The National Guard Bureau (NGB) and the Army staff will work with the ABCMR to develop the procedures for submitting Soldiers' individual applications.