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One Day Short Costs Longest Serving Ground Combat Unit in Iraq Full Education Benefit

"...In what appears to be yet another callous attempt to save money, nearly half of the Minnesota National Guard - at twenty-two months the longest serving ground combat unit in Iraq - have been denied full education benefits because their posting was one day short of the necessary 730 days. This is a significant blow to many soldiers whose military service is the only opportunity they might ever have to attend college. Full education benefits pay $800 per month; that single day’s service has cost 1,162 Minnesota National Guard $518 a month in benefits; or a loss of $1554 per semester, making a college education still out of reach for those who put their life on hold and in jeopardy to serve their country.

Minnesota National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Kevin Olson said the soldiers are ‘victims of a significant injustice’. Representative John Kline, (R - MN) has introduced a bill to get those soldiers’ their benefits. A joint statement by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Norm Coleman (R-MD) affirmed that the Army secretary, Pete Geren, is looking into this matter personally, and has asked a review board to resolve the situation by next semester. But this is just one more in a insidious pattern of pinching pennies from soldiers already paid so little tens of thousands of soldiers and their families are on food stamps..."

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