Federal Daily - February 25, 2010

Lawmaker Questions Suspension of Military Spouse Career Program

Rep. Glenn Nye, D-Va., has asked DoD for more details on why it has temporarily suspended a popular employment assistance program for military spouses.

DoD on Feb. 18 announced it was putting the My Spouse Career Advancement Account program on ice while it reviews the year-old effort. During the hiatus, which DoD officials said would be as short as possible, spouses will not be able to create new accounts, and new applications will not be accepted.

But in a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Nye said the program was too important to suspend without advance notice.

“Our troops must have absolute confidence that the benefits and support we offer our military families will be there no matter what,” wrote Nye. “If there were big enough problems with this program to shut it down without warning, then that information should be made public, so that the seriousness of our commitment to military families is not called into question.”

Nearly 133,000 military spouses have applied for the program since it launched last March, officials said, and about 98,000 spouses are enrolled in courses or have been approved for financial assistance.

To see Nye’s letter, go to: http://tinyurl.com/y94ek9k.

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VA Launches Education Benefits Outreach Campaign

If you haven’t received your education benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, then the Department of Veterans Affairs wants to talk with you.

VA on Feb. 23 launched a two-month, nationwide advertising blitz to help connect eligible student veterans and servicemembers who have not yet applied for their Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits.

The campaign includes half-page ads in top college publications, online and social media, print, radio, and outdoor advertising such as posters and flyers, the department said. The department also has distributed public service announcements to approximately 150 college radio stations and 750 local stations in areas where there is a high density of students and military installations. VA will also place banner ads on social media sites such as Facebook, Google, MySpace, Yahoo and other outlets. 

Since inception of the program last year, VA has issued nearly $1.9 billion in Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit payments to 209,490 people. The bill, which pays for tuition and books, is the most extensive educational assistance program authorized since the original GI Bill was signed into law in 1944.

“VA, student veterans and our schools have made significant progress in implementing the GI Bill this spring, but we still have more to do,” said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. 

To see more, go to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1854.

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