The Shame of a Nation

The Shame of a Nation
by: ThisDudesArmy
Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 20:27:05 PM EST

There exists a mantra so cliché, so endlessly hollow that it practically holds little meaning in 2008, as interest in the duel wars has waned considerably since the respective invasions many years ago. I speak, of course, about "Support The Troops." Countless people throughout the country slapped yellow ribbons on their car adorned with the slogan with scarcely a thought, absolving themselves of the guilt of being the nation that sent their soldiers to one war of reason (Afghanistan) with numbers too few, and another war (Iraq) that no one can rationally explain. Hey, don't look at me, I support the troops.
There are organizations out there who have taken an active interest in the lives of soldiers, post service. The Fund For Veteran's Education is a non-profit that awards scholarships to war veterans that are currently enrolled in college or a technical school. One of the biggest misconceptions civilians have about the military is that education is completely paid for once you leave the service. The common phrase used is "free college," and that is a myth that The Fund For Veteran's Education wants to bust wide open.

That was the case, lo, so many years ago. The G.I. Bill of 1944 sent eight million veterans of World War II to college, creating what is now called the middle class. The success of it was two-fold: the nation gave its veterans a shot at a successful life after they got home from the battlefields of Europe and Japan to pursue higher education. Save the world and go to school - not a bad deal. The result was a staggering boon to the economy: for every dollar contributed to education for veterans, the country got back five to twelve dollars back in renvenue and other taxes.

The veterans from Iraq and Afganistan have faced multiple tours in an all volunteer military stretched thin by a two front war, yet the promise made by this country to look after them when they return is largely and shamefully unkept. 375,000 men and women separate from the military every year to resume their civilian lives, many with hopes of getting an education. The G.I. Bill was meant to ease that transition and give back to those who honorably served, but that is not the case in twenty-first century America. After a mind boggling amount of paperwork and bureaucratic red tape to cut through to start getting money for college, veterans from active duty are paid a maximum of $1,100 dollars a month for three years, for a maximum of $39,636. This only takes a bite out of tuition costs, which have steadily risen over the years as the G.I. Bill remains largely stagnant. The average cost for a four year ride at an in-state school is $65,428. Out of state costs are $105,216, and if you want to get your money's worth at a private college or university, you'll be hamming it up with the rich kids while you rack up debt with average costs at $133,204.

Ninety percent of enlisted soldiers don't hold a degree and in may cases enlist for the benefits of higher education, which they'll only partially receive thanks to this legislation that lingers in an era of peacetime. But we're at war now, or at least the military is. The country hasn't been asked for a draft while 1.6 million of us do the bidding of a largely ungrateful nation. To move on with our lives we must carry a psychological burden, and because of the current G.I. Bill, we will carry a financial one as well.

The G.I. Bill in its current state is the shame of a nation, a Congress, and an administration that continues to dishonor those who have served. To do your part, contact your Senator to let them know you support S. 22, the Post 9/11 Veterans' Education Assistance Act from Senators Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel. And contribute to the The Fund For Veteran's Education so that a lucky veteran can receive a scholarship thanks to you. If every citizen contributed one dollar to the fund, over four thousand veterans could get a four year degree at an in-state school.

If you really 'support the troops,' you must support them during and after service. That means working toward a new G.I. Bill, the same one that helped the Greatest Generation become great.

The GI Bill gives emphatic notice to the men and women in our armed forces that the American people do not intend to let them down. -- President Franklin D. Roosevelt