Sunday, June 1, 2008

IVAW Tattoo Discount, GI Bill Rant

By way of Adam Kokesh,


20 percent off tattoos....might have been nice to know before I got my very expensive tattoo. Still, for other IVAW members out there, and those that would like to become IVAW members, good to know!



Now, on to the GI Bill. I've another video that I found says a lot of it better than I can.



Here's the thing. Yes, many soldiers were attracted by the idea of going to college. Going to as good a college as their brains could bring them to. The notion of not having to pay for school, their service being their payment.

They didn't read the fine print. They weren't supposed to read the fine print. They were never supposed to know how terrible the GI bill is.

Look. Let's be honest with each other and with the country. The Army money won't pay for a good school. While you're in, or while you're out, it simply won't do it. The Army assumes that its people don't need decent schooling. We can be shoved off with community college money, that is actually below what decent financial aid would cover. No matter how brilliant you are, the Army simply wont' pay for your schooling.

And this hurts the Army as well as its soldiers.

If the Army would pay for me to go to a decent law school? I'd honestly probably be willing to go back as a JAG officer. I've been tempted. But they won't pay for a decent school-just the kind of crummy school I could pay for on my own. The GI Bill currently doesn't pay for living expenses either, so you still need a full-time job to pay your rent. And again-find me a college that accepts tuition on a month-by-month basis. Please.

Jim Webb's bill proposes something radical-that soldiers deserve to go to the best public college in the state. It doesn't go as radical as I'd like. To be honest, I think a great GI Bill would be one that paid for whatever school the soldier could manage to get into, paying the money directly to the school. If I can get into Harvard or Yale or Columbia? Let the Army pay for the college I can achieve, rather than the college they feel I deserve. They've certainly used my brains to the utmost during my time of service, I know they know they're there.

But it's the best bill on the table right now.

And if it "hurts retention" because soldiers leave to actually go to school, what does that say about the current GI Bill, and what an illusory promise that is?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hogwash, army sargeant; Hogwash! Once you ETS from the Army you just might find a whole lot of companies that'll help you through the college of your choice.

Kicker is, they own you more so than the Army does. Think of it being more like you are a sheep (ewe) with a coyote chasing you down out in West Texas...

It'll be long distance race with the coyote(life)right on your heels, half trotting, tongue dragging & running until you are worn out & drop.

And remember this; Nothing in life is free woman. There will always be a coyote in one form or another haunting you every step of the way.

You & your people return stateside safely & alive. If someone even looks fishy, shoot! Do not let them shoot you first, got that?

Come home alive; I still wanna buy you that dinner at a nice quiet lil restaurant I know of down on the bayou.

Then you & me can hit the streets & go at it one more time just fer oldtimey's sakes.

Maybe even go hang out at Crystal Beach, laugh at the world, listen to some awesome music & catch some rays.

Galveston is kinda cool looking at it from a ferry ;)

Anonymous said...

I certainly wish the army would do something about it's members' spouses who REFUSE to pay child support. I know someone who's married to a soldier, and she's abandoned two children, and REFUSES to pay child support. REFUSES to work, and volunteers for the military instead of working and paying child support. Why doesn't the army make the soldiers get ahold of their spouses and hold them to a higher standard. The soldier, husband of the deadbeat, even tried to have me break the law and lift a NO VISITATION order. It doesn't look to me like the army holds its members in a very high standard, as I've contacted the military concerning these issues, and got NOTHING!

workwithliz said...

I also wanted to comment on both the GI Bill and Child Support. I was married to a Marine for 15 years, and we had 3 children. After he decided to leave his family, and then retire. He then decided to use his GI Bill, as he figured out the GI Bill cannot be attached for child support. For the last 2 years, my children have not gotten support or even seen their Dad. The military should not allow a deadbeat to collect a free ride to not take care of their kids. Even if the GI Bill does not provide a great education, it is providing alot of soldiers the opportunity to skip out on child support.

Anonymous said...

I know this is an old thread, but I'm just finding out that deadbeat parents can use this GI bill to fart around in "school", play online all day chatting it up, not work..and therefore not pay any child support. My ex is in his mid 40's, by his choice only seen his four kids 2 times this year, and hasn't worked since January. By the way he left the amrriage after 15 years to "find himself". I was told by in his family that he collects money from the military claiming his kids as dependants but his kids never see a penny. Meanwhile I'm barely keeping a roof over our heads on my income alone and he BOUGHT A HOUSE through the VA..and is supporting another woman (not his wife) and her kids. My child support worker tells me her hands are tied, they won't put him in jail because he's going to school through this bill..and they can't touch the money even if he's lying about having 4 extra dependants.

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