Readers of Tom Philpott's Military Update column sound off.

What Does 50, 60 Or 70 Percent of New GI Bill Mean?

I was honorably discharged in 2006. I had completed 22 months of active duty service after 9/11, which means, under the payment formula, that I can receive 70 percent of the Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit.

But how many months of eligibility will I get?

STEPHEN HARTIE
New York, N.Y.

You should be eligible to use 36 months of Post-9/11 GI Bill at that 70 percent benefit level. This assumes you haven't used more than 12 months of benefit under the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB), because a veteran cannot receive more than a maximum of 48 months of benefits under any combination of VA education programs.

In your circumstance, the 36 months of GI Bill entitlement would at the 70 percent of the full benefit because your time on active duty after 9/11 was more than 18 months but less than 24.

If you had served 90 days to six months after 9/11, you would get 50 percent of the benefit; 12 months to 18 months, 60 percent; 24 to 20 months, 80 percent; 30 to 36 months, 90 percent; and 36 months or more would qualify you for 100 percent or the full benefit.

Here's what that 70 percent means. Let's assume, you become a fulltime student at a college that charges $6700 in tuition and fees. Let's also assume that the new GI Bill will cover the full $6700 because tuition and fees at the most expensive state-run school is higher, say, $7000.

For you, using our example, the new GI Bill will pay 70 percent of that $6700, or a total of $4690 in tuition and fees. But you also would receive 70 percent of the GI Bill's monthly living allowance, based on the local rate for military Basic Allowance for Housing for a married E-5, and you will get $700 per year (70 percent of $1000) for books and supplies. – Tom Philpott

Calculate your GI Bill benefits with Military.com's GI Bill Calculator.

I am a soldier with over 20 year of active service and plan to retire soon after this tour in Afghanistan. I'm trying to decide whether to elect the new Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit. I have a family member who will be attending college this fall.

Would I have to do any more years to elect transferability under this new GI Bill?

M. COLLINS
Master Sergeant, USA
Via e-mail

No, you would not have to serve additional years to be able to transfer benefits under the new GI Bill. A servicemember is considered to be retirement eligible if he or she has completed 20 years of active duty or 20 qualifying years of reserve service. And individuals eligible for retirement on August 1, 2009, have no additional service requirement to qualify for transferability if the elect to apply for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. – T. P.

BIGGER ARMY NEEDED

One has but to live in a military community like Hinesville, Georgia, to know the stress and strain on Army families. Yet Defense Secretary [Robert] Gates recently cut an additional brigade scheduled to be 'stood up' at Fort Stewart due to cost. Army Chief of Staff General George Casey recently testified that [a permanent increase of] 30,000 additional soldiers was not needed; that the cost couldn't be justified.

If I am interpreting your recent column correctly, it appears to call these decisions into serious question. End strength is the only source of relief for a force that is stressed to the breaking point as suicide and divorce rates are at record levels.

In an age of Wall Street bailouts, stimulus packages and government giveaways, can leaders not see the price we are extracting from soldiers and their families?

CLAY SIKES
Hinesville, Ga.

Here's what I don't understand about the Obama administration's plan to allow concurrent receipt for Chapter 61 retirees: If a person served only four years and got out voluntarily, then went to VA and received a service connected disability, he would be eligible for retired pay?

I had to serve 20 years in the Marine Corps to get that retired pay. I came out with a service-connected disability. I receive retired pay and disability pay but there is still a percentage taken out of my retired pay.

JAMES G.
Gunnery Sergeant, USMC-Ret.
Via e-mail

These individuals did not volunteer to leave service; they were forced to retire by service-related ailments or injuries. They have been receiving either service disability retirement or VA disability compensation.

This change would allow them to draw both VA disability compensation and retired pay based on length of service. A member given disability retirement after only four years of service, for example, would receive an annuity of 2.5 percent for each year or 10 percent of basic pay.

Whether Congress can or will fund the Obama Chapter 61 initiative is still being decided. The House, for example, found money that would only pay for the first year of five-year phase in proposed by the administration. The Senate hasn't found any money yet to fund this further relaxation to the ban on concurrent receipt. – T. P.

Letters may be edited for clarity or length. Write to Military Forum, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA 20120-1111, send e-mail to militaryforum@aol.com or visit www.militaryupdate.com.