Sept. 11, 2001, changed our country forever and what followed changed the face of the American veteran. Like those who fought before them, veterans of the war in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom are returning home with unique challenges and needs.
The soldiers who put themselves in harm's way to ensure the safety of their families and ours deserve our gratitude and require our assistance as they transition back to civilian life. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, a man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.
Recent bipartisan efforts in Wisconsin have meant tax relief, low-interest home loans and programs for low-income veterans. One of the Legislature's most notable triumphs was the expansion of the Wisconsin GI Bill two years ago.
At the start of the 2007 fall semester, University of Wisconsin System schools and Wisconsin technical colleges began waiving or "remitting" full tuition for veterans, for up to 128 credits or eight semesters. Improved access to higher education has been a lifeline for soldiers whose plans for the future have been altered during wartime.
A year later, Congress supplemented the federal Montgomery GI Bill with the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Added benefits that became available at the start of the 2008 fall semester should be welcome news for veterans. But in Wisconsin, the federal law is being manipulated to jeopardize access to Wisconsin's GI Bill.
UW System and Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) officials say the new federal law replaces, rather than supplements, the Wisconsin GI Bill. With the support of Governor Doyle, they plan to reduce eligibility for Wisconsin's tuition waiver for each credit earned while utilizing Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.
At the same time, officials say they will not reduce Wisconsin GI Bill benefits of students who earn credits in other states or at private colleges under the Post 911 GI Bill. The convoluted interpretation puts veterans who cannot leave the state at a disadvantage and encourages those who can to pack their bags. It is self-inflicted brain drain and damaging to our state's job creation efforts.
UW-System and WTCS officials also are deeming the new education benefits retroactive, which means some veterans will not receive tuition waivers for the 128 credits provided by statute. They can expect a reduction in benefits if they earned any credits before the new law took effect. The arbitrary change in eligibility punishes veterans based on the timing of deployment and enrollment in school, regardless of their service or their needs as they return home.
Nearly 28,000 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have returned to Wisconsin. More than 14,000 members of the Wisconsin Army and Air National Guard have been called to active duty since 9/11, with the largest deployment since World War II occurring early this year. Most of today's soldiers are veterans of one or more recent combat deployments.
Longer tours and repeat deployments in combat zones mean today's generation of veterans and their families face unique struggles. Returning soldiers and disabled veterans searching for ways to support themselves and their families often find answers in the Wisconsin GI Bill. Providing support while veterans take steps toward new careers and steady paychecks allows them to focus on their physical and emotional recoveries and on the wellbeing of their families.
After 9/11, our nation's and our state's longstanding commitment to veterans had to adapt to their changing needs. The 2007 amendments to the Wisconsin GI Bill and the Post 911 GI Bill were designed with this in mind. Governor Doyle and UW and WTCS officials should not twist those initiatives to serve their own purpose and reduce education benefits.
- Rep. Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, represents the 94th Assembly District in the state Assembly.
The soldiers who put themselves in harm's way to ensure the safety of their families and ours deserve our gratitude and require our assistance as they transition back to civilian life. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, a man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.
Recent bipartisan efforts in Wisconsin have meant tax relief, low-interest home loans and programs for low-income veterans. One of the Legislature's most notable triumphs was the expansion of the Wisconsin GI Bill two years ago.
At the start of the 2007 fall semester, University of Wisconsin System schools and Wisconsin technical colleges began waiving or "remitting" full tuition for veterans, for up to 128 credits or eight semesters. Improved access to higher education has been a lifeline for soldiers whose plans for the future have been altered during wartime.
A year later, Congress supplemented the federal Montgomery GI Bill with the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Added benefits that became available at the start of the 2008 fall semester should be welcome news for veterans. But in Wisconsin, the federal law is being manipulated to jeopardize access to Wisconsin's GI Bill.
UW System and Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) officials say the new federal law replaces, rather than supplements, the Wisconsin GI Bill. With the support of Governor Doyle, they plan to reduce eligibility for Wisconsin's tuition waiver for each credit earned while utilizing Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.
At the same time, officials say they will not reduce Wisconsin GI Bill benefits of students who earn credits in other states or at private colleges under the Post 911 GI Bill. The convoluted interpretation puts veterans who cannot leave the state at a disadvantage and encourages those who can to pack their bags. It is self-inflicted brain drain and damaging to our state's job creation efforts.
UW-System and WTCS officials also are deeming the new education benefits retroactive, which means some veterans will not receive tuition waivers for the 128 credits provided by statute. They can expect a reduction in benefits if they earned any credits before the new law took effect. The arbitrary change in eligibility punishes veterans based on the timing of deployment and enrollment in school, regardless of their service or their needs as they return home.
Nearly 28,000 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have returned to Wisconsin. More than 14,000 members of the Wisconsin Army and Air National Guard have been called to active duty since 9/11, with the largest deployment since World War II occurring early this year. Most of today's soldiers are veterans of one or more recent combat deployments.
Longer tours and repeat deployments in combat zones mean today's generation of veterans and their families face unique struggles. Returning soldiers and disabled veterans searching for ways to support themselves and their families often find answers in the Wisconsin GI Bill. Providing support while veterans take steps toward new careers and steady paychecks allows them to focus on their physical and emotional recoveries and on the wellbeing of their families.
After 9/11, our nation's and our state's longstanding commitment to veterans had to adapt to their changing needs. The 2007 amendments to the Wisconsin GI Bill and the Post 911 GI Bill were designed with this in mind. Governor Doyle and UW and WTCS officials should not twist those initiatives to serve their own purpose and reduce education benefits.
- Rep. Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, represents the 94th Assembly District in the state Assembly.
