MILPER MESSAGE NUMBER : 06-205
AHRC-EPF
MONTGOMERY GI BILL (MGIB) TRANSFERABILITY OF BENEFITS TO SPOUSES PILOT PROGRAM
Issued: [07/21/2006]...

1.  THIS MILPER MESSAGE WILL EXPIRE JUL 2008

2.  REFERENCES:  

A.  2002 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION (NDAA) ACT, PUBLIC LAW 107-107, SECTION 654

B.  TITLE 38, USC, SECTION 3020.

C.  AR 601-280, ARMY RETENTION PROGRAM, DTD 31 JANUARY 2006.

D.  PROCEDURES AND GUIDANCE-TRANSFER OF MGIB BENEFITS TO SPOUSES, ARMY PILOT PROGRAM, DTD 25 JUNE 2006.

3.  THIS MESSAGE, WHICH ANNOUNCES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MGIB TRANSFERABILITY OF BENEFITS TO SPOUSES PROGRAM, WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION OF ALL COMMANDERS, REENLISTMENT OFFICES, RECRUITERS, AND FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING OFFICES TO ENSURE THAT ALL AGENCIES ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS MESSAGE TO AVOID FUTURE CLAIMS OF ERRONEOUS OR UNFILFILLED COMMITMENTS.

4.  REFERENCES A AND B AUTHORIZED THE TRANSFER OF MGIB BENEFITS TO DEPENDENTS.  EFFECTIVE 21 JULY 2006, THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY, FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENHANCING THE RETENTION OF REGULAR ARMY SOLDIERS SERVING IN CRITICAL SKILLS WITH SIX OR MORE YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE, HAS APPROVED THE TRANSFER OF UP TO 18 MONTHS OF MGIB BENEFITS TO SPOUSES AS A PILOT PROGRAM.  EXPIRATION OF THE PILOT PROGRAM HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED.  BECAUSE THIS PROGRAM IS BOUND BY LAW TO THE RETENTION OF CRITICAL SKILLS, SOLDIERS MUST ELECT TO PARTICIPATE AT THE TIME OF REENLISTMENT.

5. THE PROVISIONS OF REFERENCE C APPLY WHEN DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY TO INCLUDE:

A.  MGIB-ERA SOLDIERS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR MGIB MUST HAVE ENROLLED IN MGIB ON DD FORM 2366, MGIB BASIC ENROLLMENT FORM, UPON ENTRY TO ACTIVE DUTY.  

B.  SOLDIERS MUST POSSESS A CRITICAL MILITARY SKILL WHICH IS DEFINED AS A SOLDIER WHO QUALIFIES FOR A “MOS SPECIFIC” SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT BONUS (SRB) INCENTIVE AND IS ENTITLED TO A (ZONE B OR ZONE C) BONUS AT THE TIME OF REENLISTMENT.

C.  SOLDIERS MUST HAVE COMPLETED AT LEAST SIX YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE IN THE ARMED FORCES AND REENLIST FOR A MINIMUM OF FOUR YEARS.

D.  THE FY06 BASIC MONTHLY MGIB BENEFIT FOR FULL-TIME TRAINING FOR VETERANS IS $1,034 (INDEXED ANNUALLY).  SOLDIERS CAN TRANSFER UP TO 18 OF 36 MONTHS OF ENTITLEMENT TOTALING OVER $18,000.  THIS BENEFIT IS PRORATED FOR PART-TIME ENROLLMENT.  FOR SOLDIERS WHO ELECTED THE ARMY COLLEGE FUND AS AN ENLISTMENT OPTION AND/OR WHO HAVE ENROLLED IN AND PAID TOWARD THE $600 MGIB ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY, THEIR EXPANDED BENEFIT (MGIB, ACF, MGIB ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY) IS TRANSFERRED.  VERIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT IN THE ARMY COLLEGE FUND AND/OR THE MGIB ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY BE WILL COMPLETED BY THE VA AT THE TIME THE SPOUSE FILES A VA FORM 22-1990, APPLICATION FOR VA EDUCATION BENEFITS.  SOLDIERS CAN CONTACT THE VA OR VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.GIBILL.VA.GOV FOR QUESTIONS ON APPLICATION FOR BENEFITS PROCEDURES.

6. ALL ELIGIBLE SOLDIERS DESIRING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM MUST COMPLETE A DD FORM 2366-2, MONTGOMERY GI BILL ACT OF 1984 (MGIB) TRANSFERABILITY PROGRAM.  THIS APPLIES EVEN IN CASES WHERE A SPOUSE IS NOT DESIGNATED AT THE TIME OF REENLISTMENT TO RECEIVE BENEFITS.  THE FORM SERVES AS AN ELECTION AND PROOF OF PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM.  SOLDIERS WILL COMPLETE A NEW FORM THROUGH THEIR SERVICING CAREER COUNSELOR EACH TIME A CHANGE IS MADE.

7.  ELIGIBLE SOLDIERS WHO ELECT TRANSFER OF MGIB BENEFITS TO THEIR SPOUSE AT THE TIME OF REENLISTMENT WILL HAVE THEIR ENTITLEMENT TO A SRB MULTIPLIER REDUCED BY 0.5.  EXAMPLE:  SOLDIER IS ENTITLED TO A SRB MULTIPLIER OF 1.5 AND ELECTS TO TRANSFER MGIB BENEFITS TO HIS SPOUSE, THE ADJUSTED SRB MULTIPLIER IS 1.0.
 
8. SOLDIERS WITH QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THIS PROGRAM AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ADDRESSED IN THIS MESSAGE SHOULD CONTACT THEIR SERVICING CAREER COUNSELORS.  SERVICING CAREER COUNSELORS WITH QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MESSAGE SHOULD CONTACT THEIR APPROPRIATE MACOM RETENTION OFFICE FOR CLARIFICATION.  HUMAN RESOURCES COMMAND, ALEXANDRIA, VA, POC IS MRS. CARROLL, DSN 221-5400