Legion Launches New GI Bill Web Site
Clear Explanation of Benefits
The American Legion has launched an informative
new Web site to help veterans and their families understand the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which takes
effect Aug. 1, 2009, and how it compares with other federal education benefits for veterans.
The site -
www.mygibill.org - includes clear
explanations of the different GI Bill benefits, news alerts and updates, frequently asked
questions, state-by-state benefits and online application opportunities. The site also includes
information about The American Legion's historical and ongoing role in the evolution of veterans'
education benefits. The site will continue to evolve with new features and updated material every
week.
"This new Web site comes in response to quite a bit of confusion from veterans since the
passage of the Post 9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2008 last summer," American Legion
National Commander David K. Rehbein said. "There are some major differences between the Post 9/11
GI Bill and the Montgomery GI Bill that veterans need to understand. Foremost, they need to
understand that they have choices and should review all of the different education benefits to see
which one best meets their needs."
Rehbein said The American Legion has a time-honored obligation to play a lead role in
providing information and outreach on the GI Bill.
"The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 - the original GI Bill - was the brainchild of
American Legion members, most notably Past National Commander Harry Colmery, who drafted it in
longhand from a room inside the Mayflower Hotel in Washington," Rehbein said. "He and his fellow
Legionnaires worked diligently in Washington and around the nation to get it passed. The rest is
history - a half-century of economic prosperity, a 7-to-1 return on investment for the federal
government and, really, the creation of the American middle class."
The Legion was actively involved, as well, in the creation of the Post 9/11 GI Bill last
spring, which aimed to improve portability of the benefit, especially for members of the National
Guard and Reserve, and to make it transferable to spouses and dependents. The American Legion
worked closely with the bill's primary author, Sen. James Webb, D-Va., during its creation.
"While there are still some issues to be worked out, the new GI Bill fills in a lot of gaps
the Montgomery GI Bill did not cover," Rehbein said. "Likewise, there are some benefits of the
Montgomery GI Bill that may outweigh those of the Post 9/11 bill. Veterans need simple, clear
answers that are sometimes hard to find in government-run media and documents. That's what we are
doing with www.mygibill.org."
The American Legion
Craig Roberts, 202-263-2982; Cell 202-406-0887
or
Joe March or John Raughter, 317-630-1253
© Business Wire 2008, 2008-11-10 03:51:00
Original article available at:
http://www.pr-inside.com/legion-launches-new-gi-bill-web-r905852.htm
