Can Post-August 1, 2009 Career Retirees Transfer Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits to Dependents?
Q: I’ve heard that some post-August 2009 career retirees have been able to transfer their Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to their dependents. I thought we couldn’t do that. Did something change?
A: Yes it did and only recently did I stumble upon the change. As I read into it further, I found it isn’t consistent with all branches of service and some branches are not even participating in the program.
As you know, right after the Post 9/11 GI Bill was enacted on August 1, 2009, many servicmembers retired not knowing they had to transfer their New GI Bill benefits before they retired. That was a wrong that had not been righted before now and even today it is not fully corrected, but inroads are being made and it is a start.
So far only the Army and Air Force are working with retirees in an effort to determine if they knew about the Post 9/11 GI Bill transfer rules before they retired or not. For right now, the Navy and Marines have decided not to act on any transfer of benefits requests at this time.
Soldiers retiring between August 1, 2009 and November 1, 2009 can request relief by submitting DD Form 149 – Application for Correction of Military Record to the Army Review Boards Agency (ARBA), 1901 South Bell Street, 2nd Floor, Arlington, VA 22202-4508.
Retired Airmen can submit the same form to the Board for Correction of Air Force Records, SAF/MRBR, 550-C Street West, Suite #40, Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4742, however, the Air Force is not using a fixed ending date as is the Army, just if you retired after August 1, 2009. In the form, explain in great detail how you were unfairly treated with regard to transferring your GI Bill benefits.
With the last figures I saw, both the Army and Air Force have approved about 1/3rd of the requests they have received on a case-by-case basis.
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Stumble!
