The Heritage Foundation - Leadership for America

June 11, 2008 John, Delaware writes:

The new GI Bill will do wonders for enlistment. That should more than compensate for service members who choose to end their service after 1, 2, or 3 enlistments in order to go to college.

Secondly, there are many reasons why people enlist. For example, they might not have the maturity, intelligence, or financial means to go to college. Military service can help them with two of these three; but it still takes an SAT score to get into a college. Sure, that sounds pretty harsh. But it’s reality. University academics are not for everyone. The idea that everyone will run off to college is ridiculous.

Having served in the military for 20 years, and having seen firsthand the unbelievable waste of tax-payers money, this GI Bill is a drop in the bucket in the conversation about fiscal responsibility. When DoD contractors stop paying six figure salaries to people who would have trouble maintaining a job at a fast food restaurant, then you can talk intellectually honestly about fiscal responsibility. If people west of Reston, Va knew what was going on inside the beltway, they’d storm the Capitol and/or Pentagon demanding their tax dollars back.

The “so-called” Webb GI Bill is a home run. It’s an excellent investment in our country’s future and provides an great incentive for military service. This retired servicemember endorses it whole-heartedly.

June 11, 2008 Will writes:

You should be utterly ashamed to write this garbage…we are spending BILLIONS per MONTH in a war which we should have never waged. Hell, $50 billion dollars over 10 years sound like a deal to me! (Considering we’ve spenT $600 billion in Iraq and counting…)

I think the least we could do for these veterans is offer a benefit comparable to that offerred to WWII vets.

Let me guess, you folks love to wave your flags and bump your chest about how patriotic you are, but when asked to do something MEANINGFUL for our veterans you go silent and start manufacturing arguments for why not to do so… But you have no problems with the national treasurey being handed over to the likes of Halliburton, Blackwater, Bechtel, et al.

Thank you JIM WEBB! SIEMPRE FIE!

Obama/Webb 08 in a LANDSLIDE!!!!

June 11, 2008 Cory, Georgia writes:

Its nice how this hack conveniently left out the part of the same study shows a 16% increase in recruitment, balancing the loss of reenlisting soldiers. I’ve been out of the military less than two years and it wasn’t the “great” benefits of the GI Bill that lead me to decline reenlisting. It was the fact there was no foreseeable future to the endless deployments to Iraq and the possible outbreak of a new war in Iran. Preach both sides of the story James Carafano not just the parts that benefit your article. Jim Webb is stepping up to something that should have been improved years ago.

June 12, 2008 Ray Wilkins writes:

I support the Webb bill on one condition; that it coincide with equal cuts in social welfare spending to those who contribute nothing. This will offset the increased cost of the bill and ease the burden on taxpayers who will no doubt have to pay for this bill.

June 12, 2008 Kevin, New York writes:

Wow, 52 billion over 10 years? That comes out to roughly 35 dollars a taxpayer, per year. GET. OVER. IT.

June 12, 2008 Mac, Tulsa writes:

Sen. Webb should be commended for his courage to bring this legislation forward. As a former Secretary of the U.S. Navy, former Assistant Secretary of Defense, and an Annapolis grad who also served in combat - and was decorated for his action - I think he’s fully qualified to comment on and bring forth this work.

If we decrease spending on programs of entitlement for those who do absolutely nothing to contribute - as opposed to say, many of us who have actually put a uniform on - then this can be “squeezed” into the budget.

Thank you Senator Webb.

June 12, 2008 Eric Roos, Alexandria, VA writes:

I retired from the Army and am using the current GI Bill to the max. It has paid for two masters degrees that put me heads and shoulders above my peers who went to expensive schools and it has paid for three incredible certifications—seven tests in all. Finally, as my GI Bill nears its end, I’m expending it on a PhD program at Virginia Tech. I’m worried about how I’ll finish the program once my GI Bill is depleted, but it has carried me quite far. Maybe I’m missing something, but the current GI Bill has served me well. Could I have gone to an Ivy League school under the GI Bill—no; but, did that a requirement to exceed the competitiveness of my peers—no. Again, what am I missing?

June 12, 2008 Publius, Washington D.C. writes:

I am an active duty military officer with multiple Iraq deployments and continuing an active duty career.

It is time for veterans to be intelectually and philosophically honest and oppose this new brand of federal welfare sweeping through Congress in the name of patriotism and “serving those who have served” and all the other platitudes that are greasing the skids of the rapidly expanding welfare state. The left, intentionally or not, is scoring a huge government expansion win by targeting traditionally conservative, limited-government constituencies, with the federal largesse.

When do the expansive benefits of the military become the modern equivalent of the Quartering Act of 1765? Perhaps it is time to take a liberal weapon — the expansive and maleable interpretation of the Constitution — and launch some Third Amendment challenges to the bloated veteran and military benefit programs out there.

As a mid-career junior officer, I was paid the taxable equivalent of more than $169,000 last year (about the same as a Congressman). Enlistment goals remain consistently met in excess of 100%. But we keep expanding pay and benefits and finance our bloated bureacracy by borrowing from Red China.

I cancelled my VFW lifetime membership, because I now see that organization is “Veterans For Welfare”.

Stop the expansion of the federal welfare state, stop the federal dollar domination of the academy that is fueling sky-rocketing tuitions.

Let me tell you a dirty little secret. This is note the “next greatest generation”. After years of warfare, wee are still barely scratching mere hours of World War II combat casualties.

Be honest. Starting with yourself.

June 12, 2008 Robert, Tucson writes:

This Webb bill is a stupid idea…… If he really wants to help those who serve put the money in the bill for educating service members who wish to participate in degree programs while they serve… this would encourage both enlistment and retention, as well as providing for continued professional and academic growth in what is already the best educated military in the world.

If the tax payer is going to help finance the increased knowledge and expertise of these service members, they should also reap some benefit in the forum enticements to continue service

June 17, 2008 Chance, MD writes:

First, as the other commenter noted, you left out the point that increase in recruiting will help offset any retention issues.

Second, education benefits should not be used as a retention incentive. There are a number of programs and incentives to help retention, and using the GI Bill (which I helped pay for with my $1200 contribution) as a carrot to keep me in is not in keeping with the original intent of the program.

Third, perhaps the junior officer above is paid like a congressman, but this former NCO sure wasn’t, and many of the non cash benefits looked great on paper, but weren’t so good in practice (don’t get me started on military health care). This is hardly “welfare”. This is compensation. And if the guy above got 2 masters and almost a PhD with his, great, but not every area or program of study is right for every person. I for example can not learn very well with online classes, despite them being cheaper.

Fourth, despite what the surveys and studies say, military service has few comparable civilian equivalants, either in danger (real and percieved), time away from home and loved one, missed educational oppurtunities, restrictions on personal life, highly disciplined atmosphere, or other comparisons. I never met a McDonald’s employee who was required to know as much and perform as strictly as even the most junior enlisted soldier. There simply is no comparison.

This GI Bill should be lauded, and passed immediately.

July 5, 2008 Steve, Eugene writes:

A response to Kevin, from New York who wrote:
“Wow, 52 billion over 10 years? That comes out to roughly 35 dollars a taxpayer, per year. GET. OVER. IT”

$35 per taxpayer, plus $X for the Iraq War, plus $X for the Afghanistan War, plus $X for Medicare, plus $X for Social Security, plus $X for federal employees benefits, plus $X for food stamp, plus $X for welfare, plus $X other entitlement programs…. shall I continue?

The government is spending money like a drunken sailor. Special interest in Capitol Hill almost always wins. Government:
1. gives tax credit (lobbied by ‘green’ companies)
2. gives subsidies (lobbied by farm companies & oil companies)
3. gives tax benefit (lobbied by homebuilder companies)
4. increases payroll tax on Medicare 8 times (lobbied by older people + Medicare beneficiaries)
5. increases payroll tax on Social Sec 20 times (lobbied by older people + SS beneficiaries)
6. increases veteran benefits (lobbied by veteran organizations).

Oh well, I’m only one person, what can I do?

I paid out of pocket for most of my years in community college. Then I transferred to a 4-year public university. The current MGIB is enough to pay for my tuition, books, fees, school supplies, gas, and there is still leftover to pay for my daily expenses. Once I get my bachelor degree, I will still have enough to help me pay for a Certified Financial Planner training at a local private university. And if my MGIB won’t cover the tuition cost at the private university, I’ll not complain to the government, begging, asking for more money. I’ll just work hard, save money, and apply for private scholarships to finish off.

September 8, 2008 Cpl Grames, Iraq writes:

As an Private First Class infantryman in the marine corps, i was being paid roughly 1800 dollars a month to live in the roughest conditions most americans could ever imagine and work 16-20 hour days on a daily basis for almost 7 months straight (jan06-jul06), the new GI bill will be the only benefit that will have made this enlistment at all worthwhile. I didnt see tax payers or so called “war politicians” crying a river and demanding that combat troops(i emphesize combat) be paid a salary proportionate to the amount of danger we were in, so i sure as heck dont want to hear them crying about 52 billion now.
The only reasonable arguement against the new GI bill would be to say that only combat troops/veterans are eligible, being that the a large portion of the troops are in some kind of support role and have plenty the opportunity and time to attend classes while enlisted.
In short, any civilian who opposes it doesnt see the vast potential for the kind of impact educated leaders could have on america in the long run, and any military personell who oppose it probably didnt really earn it and just dont feel right taking something that so many true warriors had to die for. I honestly hope their children will be drafted in the next war.
Thank god for great americans like Senator Jim Webb, he went all the way to support us while some of his colleagues(the most powerful ones) were only concerned with retention and politics.