The Times

Issue date: 3/1/10 Section: News

Remember the time in high school when you were eating lunch with your friends, and you looked over and saw a regular-size brown table with a banner flowing from the front of it saying the army motto "Army Strong"? Then, you saw them attract a massive amount of people to attempt pull-ups or some other type of physical activity, and you wondered what it was really all about. As you were leaving you stopped by the table and heard what the recruiter had to say. He started off with, "Do you want to travel the world and see Europe or Asia?" And other questions like that, but then he gave the main sales point, "How about free education?" Now they have got your attention.

This main selling point catches the attention of more recruits every time it is heard. To have the ability to go to a school for free is a dream that can become reality. This point was made possible by the passing of the G.I. Bill.

This bill allows the soldiers to go to any school of their choice and have the military pay for it, and surprisingly enough we have both current and former military students using the G.I. Bill here at San Jacinto College.

Just to give some background information on the bill, there have been two different versions. When the first version of the bill came about in June of 1944, it was designed to grant opportunities to war veterans of World War II and presented federal aid to help them in the areas of healthcare, housing, and education. This version of the bill stood strong until 2008 when the Post 9/11 G.I Bill was signed into law.

This new version of the bill has revolutionized how soldiers achieve their education and improve their life after the military. It has presented a new list of benefits, which are actually different than the old version's, which include: A monthly living stipend, up to $1000 a year for books and supplies, a one time relocation allowance, the option to transfer the benefits to family members, and a various amount of other benefits.

According to a student who is using this new version of the G.I. Bill, the bill "benefits the veterans, which allows them to focus more on school than having to worry about the stressors of a job to pay for everyday living."

With the large amount of students that use this bill, one of them is Carolyn Davis. She served a total of 12 years and is now back to the civilian world with three children and the desire to get a degree. She started out in the 501st Military Battalion in Germany, and by the end of her military career she would be a part of some major Operations such as Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Noble Eagle. Plus, she would have been stationed all over the world in places such as Kosovo, Bosnia, Hungry, and Croatia, and also have been stationed at six stateside bases. Finally, she would end her military career as a Staff Sergeant Promotable serving as distribution and logistics instructor for the U.S. Transportation School in Virginia.

Continued...

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