AFA Urges President to Sign Improved GI Bill Provisions for Airmen and their Families

CyberPatriot

Press Releases

AFA Urges President to Sign Improved GI Bill Provisions for Airmen and their Families

Arlington, VA – The Air Force Association today welcomed final passage of new GI Bill provisions within a defense supplemental bill, and urged the President to sign it into law.

For seven years, AFA has urged improvements to the Montgomery GI Bill to increase educational opportunities for Airmen, including the measures in S. 22 introduced by Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA).

“The GI Bill is important to our Airmen and their families, and AFA is pleased that these benefits are being updated,” said Bob Largent, Chairman of the Board for AFA.

“Providing educational opportunities is part of the commitment we make to those who serve,” said Mike Dunn, President of AFA.

The Montgomery GI Bill has been an extraordinarily successful and useful benefit for members of the United States Armed Forces for years, but until this action, had not been updated recently to reflect current educational costs.

Updating the bill to tie it to the current costs will help Airmen achieve a complete four-year education and thus a better quality of life after serving, while bolstering recruitment efforts throughout the military and helping lower post-military unemployment rates of veterans.

AFA also welcomes other provisions that increase support for cost-of-living and books so that undertaking a college education after service is a more practical opportunity for Airmen. The new provisions are expected to allow more service members to access this benefit, and provide more flexibility by allowing them to draw on this benefit up to 15 years after leaving the service.

Other improvements welcomed by AFA make the benefit transferable to a spouse or children, and usable to pay off school loans – both key benefits for service members and their families.

####

AFA is a 501(C)(3), nonprofit organization promoting public understanding of aerospace power and the pivotal role it plays in the security of the nation. AFA has more than 200 chapters nationally and internationally representing more than 125,000 members. Visit AFA at http://www.afa.org.

Return to the AFA Press Releases Page

Audio Transcripts

Podcasts/Transcripts

AFA is a non-profit, independent, professional military and aerospace education association. Our mission is to promote a dominant United States Air Force and a strong national defense, and to honor Airmen and our Air Force Heritage. To accomplish this, we: EDUCATE the public on the critical need for unmatched aerospace power and a technically superior workforce to ensure U.S. national security. ADVOCATE for aerospace power and STEM education. SUPPORT the total Air Force family, and promote aerospace education.