Pentagon Warns Of ‘Harm’ RE: Webb’s Effort To Give Educational Benefits To Troops After ‘Only’ 2 Yrs

[babylonsister]

They're no longer even trying to disguise their motives. :puke:worthy.

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/06/pentagon-webb-gi-harm/

Pentagon Warns Of ‘Harm’ From Webb’s Effort To Give Educational Benefits To Soldiers After ‘Only’ 2 Years»



There are currently 56 senators –including 10 Republicans – who have joined Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA)’s effort to dramatically expand educational benefits for returning veterans. The 21st Century GI Bill would pay a significant portion of college costs for all service members, including national guard members, who served in active duty after Sept. 11, 2001.

The Pentagon and the White House oppose the bill, however, apparently “out of fear that too many will use it.” In a press briefing today, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell explained the administration’s opposition, warning of the “harm” Webb’s bill would do to troop retention and objecting to the generous benefits given after “only” two years of service:

We have no issue with the fact that Senator Webb wishes to provide a more generous education benefit to troops. But we are certainly concerned that this would be eligible to them after only two years of service. We think pegging it to a longer period of service — the number we have in mind, at this point, is six years of service — that the longer you stay in, the sweeter the benefits are to you. Six years would show a commitment to service. … The last thing we want to do is provide a benefit — or the last thing we want to do is create a situation in which we are losing our men and women who we have worked so hard to train.

Morrell suggests that those who serve their country for a full two years somehow do not show “a commitment to service” and are thus undeserving of Webb’s generous benefits. Under Morrell’s terms, a soldier who participated in the invasion of Baghdad, in April of 2003, and had remained in service ever since would be forced to wait a whole year before becoming eligible for full benefits.


As the New York Times’ Bob Herbert pointed out, more robust educational benefits will only help the military fill its enlistment quotas with qualified Americans. He took opponents of Webb’s bill to task for failing our troops:

The notion that expanding educational benefits will have a negative effect on retention seems silly. The Webb bill would cover tuition at a rate comparable to the highest tuition at a state school in the state in which the veteran would be enrolled. That kind of solid benefit would draw talented individuals into the military in large numbers. … Politicians tend to talk very, very big about supporting our men and women in uniform. But time and again — whether it’s about providing armor for their safety or an education for their future — we find that talk to be very, very cheap.


As VoteVets chairman Jon Soltz and Gen. Wesley Clark wrote recently, “it is morally reprehensible to fix the system so that civilian life is unappealing to service members, in an attempt to force them to re-up.”

[niyad]

1. well, if they aren't worth educating until after six years, I don't think they should

be sent to war until after six years, either.

[babylonsister]

4. Educate 'em first! Maybe they wouldn't be so 'disposable' then. nt

[msedano]

2. only two years? i did 19 months

and got GI Bill money to finish grad school. sometimes i think there should be a military service requirement for anyone who runs for public office. if they didn't put in the time they have to win 70% of the votes to take their cushy seat at the public trough and get all those benefits. what pension do congressholes receive after serving one term of only two years, or six?

have a look at this la bloga column about karl rove's nightmarish deal with the devil to keep his boys out of iraq:
http://labloga.blogspot.com/2008/05/fantasy-bring-em-on-4131-at-time.html

recommended.

[babylonsister]

3. I don't know who you're referring to, but

if it's Senator Webb, have a look: and FWIW, McCain is against Webb's GI Bill. Heckuva way to support the troops, don't you think?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Webb

A 1968 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Webb served as a Marine Corps infantry officer until 1972, and is a highly decorated Vietnam War combat veteran. During his four years with the Reagan administration, Webb served as the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, then as Secretary of the Navy. Webb won the Democratic nomination for the 2006 Virginia Senate race by defeating Harris Miller in the primary, then won the general election by defeating the Republican incumbent George Allen.

[gratuitous]

5. We can't have this!

If citizens get too educated, it makes the GOP's job so much harder. Their standard persuasive tactic of yammering until you're too worn down to give a rat's ass about something works best when they can implant their talking points without any analysis at all. It's why the gas tax holiday idea keeps flopping around like a maggot in a frying pan.

[OhioChick]

6. K&R

:kick: