{"id":54183,"date":"2019-12-16T16:10:17","date_gmt":"2019-12-16T16:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/12\/16\/guardsmen-deployed-to-southern-us-border-will-get-credit-towards-gi-bill-benefits\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T09:22:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T09:22:03","slug":"guardsmen-deployed-to-southern-us-border-will-get-credit-towards-gi-bill-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/education-transition\/2019\/12\/16\/guardsmen-deployed-to-southern-us-border-will-get-credit-towards-gi-bill-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Guardsmen deployed to southern US border will get credit toward GI Bill benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

National Guard troops deployed to the southern U.S. border<\/a> for ongoing military assistance operations will have that time counted towards GI Bill benefits eligibility<\/a> under a new memorandum<\/a> signed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper late last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lawmakers who had pushed for the deployment to count towards the education payouts praised the move as a fair and overdue decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Whether it\u2019s to South Korea, Afghanistan, or right here at home, all those that deploy in defense of our nation have earned the right to use the GI bill to pursue their educational goals after they separate from military service,\u201d said Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn<\/a>., and ranking member of the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee. \u201cI applaud the Secretary of Defense for doing the right thing and reversing this ill-advised policy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t