Here at The Big Stick we see military service as one of the highest forms of service that young people can give to their country. A strong national defense is absolutely vital to the long term survival of our country and the military provides that. We also believe that for putting themselves in harms way, whether it’s on the front lines or serving food in the depths of an aircraft carrier, these young people deserve our thanks when they leave the military.

No doubt many of us have a grandfather, father, uncle, aunt or mother who served in the military, went to school afterwards on the GI Bill, and enjoyed a nice career as a result. We believe that the GI Bill was one of the most Progressive, thoughtful and intelligent pieces of legislation passed in the last century. It rewards soldiers with education and more importantly, it makes them into citizens more able to contriubte to society, which is good for the country.

So why is the military wanting to make it harder for these soldiers to receive GI Bill benifits? We understand their concerns about recruitment or that seasoned soldiers will be lured away, but isn’t three years long enough? Assuming a soldier is in the military for 6 months prior to his or her first deployment, and even ignoring the safety risks involved with training them, that leaves 912 days for them to be deployed and possibly killed in service to our country. For too many this may mean most of this time is spent in Iraq or Afghanistan where they know every day could be their last.

If the military is worried about retention, then they have to look at why. If the lure of college makes our military personnel choose to abandon their mission, then maybe the fault is not with them, but with the mission.

Three years is enough. To expect more is an insult to our fighting men and women.

For more, please see here:

Pentagon biggest obstacle to Democrats’ GI bill
By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press WriterTue May 13, 3:18 AM ET

Veterans groups say it’s time to expand college aid for GIs, and Democrats want to use an election year to do it. Their biggest obstacle? The Pentagon.
The Defense Department is lobbying against legislation proposed by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., that would guarantee a full-ride scholarship for service members to any in-state public university. According to defense officials, the plan would hurt its ability to retain service members because the new GI education bill would require only three years before the full benefit kicks in. The Defense Department wants the commitment to be extended to at least six years.

“We have no issue with the fact that Sen. Webb wishes to provide a more generous education benefit to troops,” said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell. “But we are certainly concerned that this would be eligible to them” so soon.

The Pentagon’s opposition to Webb’s bill underscores the difficulty the military has had in recruiting and retaining an all-volunteer force at a time when it is engaged in a war that is deeply unpopular with the American public.

Adding to the military’s dilemma is the larger number of soldiers and Marines needed to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last year, the Pentagon recommended that the Army be increased by about 65,000 soldiers to a total of 547,000, and the Marines be increased by 27,000 to 202,000.

The difficulty in finding young people also can be attributed in part to low unemployment numbers in recent years. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, unemployment dropped from 6 percent in 2003 to 4.6 percent in 2007.