Deployment - GI Benefits - Military Spouse

Senator Turns to Military Spouses for Input

Email:
Password:
Remember me Forgot password?

Should a judge be able to force someone to join the military? It just happened - learn more

GI Benefits

Who can use them and when

by Sue Hoppin, MOAA

Q: Can a wife use GI benefits?

The question above was sent in from Milspouse.com. We went to our trusted benefits advisor, Sue Hoppin, at Military Officers Association of America (MOAA).

A: It depends. If your service member is in the Army and meets certain criteria, you may be eligible for a pilot program allowing transferability of MGIB benefits to dependants.

The 2002 NDAA, Public Law 107-107, Sect 654 allows service members in critical skills, as determined by their Service Secretary, the ability to transfer MGIB benefits to dependents. However, it is up to the Service to determine whether or not they want to take advantage of this program. Traditionally, the ability to transfer MGIB benefits to dependents has been used as a retention tool. While there are many requirements, and each branch of the service has its own rules and criteria governing the program, here are some general rules:

Serving on active duty for six years or more
Signing a contract to serve an additional four years
Working in a military career field designated as "critical"

The Air Force was the first service to pilot a program in 2003 with disappointing results. It has since been discontinued.

The Army is the only service branch currently running a pilot program that allows certain soldiers in critical skills specialties to transfer up to 18 months of MGIB benefits to their spouses. The Army program requires troops to give up a portion of any reenlistment bonus to transfer GI Bill entitlement as described. Once an eligible soldier decides to participate in the program, he/she must contact his/her Retention Career Counselor and complete a DD Form 2366-2 at the time of reenlistment.

Personal Crises During Deployment
Stress in Combat
Combat Stress
Widows Caught in the Red Tape
Facing the Widow Possibility

Rate this content:

You must be logged in to post a comment. Log in | Register

User comments:

Lisa	7/8/2008 7:50:24 PM
My husband is in the Navy and he sent me a memo that went out yesterday. According to the memo, spouses and children can now use military members GI Bill. Effective August 2008 Yippee!
AMITCHELL08	7/14/2008 12:53:02 PM
Lisa, Could you send me that memo if you have time. I am very interested in going back to school and it has been hard because we cannot really afford for me to do that right now. Thanks, April
angry fisherman's wife	7/14/2008 10:54:36 PM
Lisa, I am also interrested in learning more about the possibilities of getting financial help for school. My husband is also in the Navy. If you could pass along anymore information that would be great!
Sarah	7/20/2008 4:05:51 PM
Hi, I am new to this site although not new to the military. My husband in in the USMC. Would it be possible for you to also send me this memo? Maybe to this profile, or to my e-mail: usmclova@hotmail.com Thanks! Sarah
anangelsmom	10/22/2008 9:12:54 AM
I for one see this as a good thing but on the other hand I see it as another way for some "Bad" wive to take advantage of her husband..he is not only putting his life on the line and she spends all this extra cash now she can spend all his education money too..I feel if a wife wants an education then she needs to pay for it her self and or Join the military herself..troops marry at an young age and they hand over everything to someone they hardly know and now this..there has to be a way to protect these men and women from someone who just wants to use them for a free education and then take off and leave them with nothing... yes I see the bad side of things.. but its how most women think around military post..I feel the military needs to come up with something else for the military spouse.. like after so many yrs being married she or he can start school with grants.. they can sign on and agree to something for some kind of pay back like work on post for 2 yrs with their new degree .. I just feel this is a good thing and a bad thing. because I know some troops who want to have an education as well after they get out and where will they get the money for this if they hand it over to the wife and kids? He or she will be out of luck if the wife leaves after she gets out of school.. anyway good luck to us all may these men and women do whats best for their families.. I just hope the wife sees that her husbands may want this money too; to better educate himself so he can support his family after his military career..
Kristen	1/12/2009 12:21:26 PM
I think that its insulting to assume that all wives would end up using this benefit as a way to advance themselves before leaving their husband. Although divorce rate among those that serve is a well-documented thing, if you READ the requirements for transfer, by the time that a soldier qualifies for this benefit they have put in years of service (beyond their first enlistment). Hopefully by that point they have found a wife that allows them balance at home. Speaking as Marine's wife, this benefit is probably the only way that I'm going to be able to complete my degree. I agreed to marry a Marine, and did so realizing that he would be a career Marine. What I gave up in order to do that was my chance at a 4-year degree. I earned grants and scholarships to my choice of schools, but I was unable to complete my degree because it left me on the east coast and him on the west. Being apart for that long was placing too much stress on our relationship, and us, so we decided that I would leave school and join my husband on the west coast. There is not a day that goes by that I regret my decision, but I don't like the fact that I was unable to earn my degree. It would be a HUGE financial gain for our family if I were able to complete school, but it wasn't worth the price. Now the government is realizing that the women that support the career soldiers have made their own sacrifices to do so. Unfortunately there are woman out there that sign up for this life and can't handle it, or do so for the paycheck, but that doesn't mean that we all should be punished because of their actions. Bottomline is the fact that these soldiers do make the choice in their wives and whether or not they extend this benefit to them. They should be allowed to decide if college is right for them and elect to keep this benefit, or if they don't feel like college is a good fit for them and they want to allow their wife an opportunity they can not otherwise give to her on their salary. My husband's a mechanic, and although I've pushed him to try school, its not a place where he sees a future. If he doesn't pass this benefit on, then the money he contributed is wasted. How does that make sense?

Related Articles:

Rate this content:

User comments: