General Allison Hickey, Under Secretary for Benefits, said “The Post 9/11 GI Bill is incredibly important because it reduces the financial burdens of higher education so that Veterans have an opportunity to achieve their education goals. VA believes it is important for Veterans to be aware of changes to the GI Bill this year and learn more about how these changes may affect them.”

“It’s hard to believe how far we have all come with the Post-9/11 GI Bill the past two years,” stated General Hickey. “Today, more than 537,000 students have received over $11.5 billion in GI Bill benefits to help them take charge of their future.”

Upcoming changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill effective August 1, 2011 include paying the actual net cost of all public in-state tuition and fees, rather than basing payments upon the highest in-state tuition and fee rates for every state; capping private and foreign tuition at $17,500 per academic year; and ending payments during certain school breaks, to preserve Veterans’ entitlement for future academic semesters. Also, certain students attending private schools in select states can now continue to receive benefits at the same rate payable during the previous academic year.

Beginning October 1, 2011, eligible individuals will be able to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill for programs such as non-college degrees, on-the-job training, and correspondence courses, and they will be eligible to receive a portion of the national monthly housing allowance rate when enrolled only in distance learning courses.

VA is implementing the latest round of changes to the Post 9/11 GI Bill and has already begun processing fall 2011 enrollment certifications. Outreach by VA has helped to increase participation by colleges and universities in the Yellow Ribbon program, which helps students avoid out-of-pocket costs that may exceed the benefit. Today, more than 2,600 schools are participating in the Yellow Ribbon program.

“VA is committed to ensuring Veterans have the information and tools they need to succeed,” General Hickey concluded.

Complete information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill is available at: www.gibill.va.gov. VA’s education information phone number is: 1-888-GIBILL-1. For ongoing benefit information, Veterans and Servicemembers can log into the VA eBenefits website: www.eBenefits.va.gov. To ask a question in a secure e-mail, use the “Ask a Question” tab at: https://www.gibill2.va.gov/cgi-bin/vba.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php.

In an interview with the leftwing rag, Rieckhoff claims that the VA “does a crappy job of doing outreach” to veterans. In the next sentence, he goes on to say that the VA isn’t using social media. Really Paul?

Then who is running this Facebook page titled Veterans Health Administration (VHA) – U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

And who is running the VA page titled Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Oh, and this one titled National Cemetery Administration (NCA) U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The VA’s health page is updated AT LEAST daily with a LOT of useful information. And that’s just Facebook.

Obviously, Paul doesn’t follow @DeptVetAffairs on Twitter, which also sends out a lot of great information for those willing to follow them. Does Paul want the military to force all ETSing Soldiers to be required to “follow” the VA on Twitter and Facebook as a requirement to getting out?

The VA even has a kickass blog that is written by Brandon Friedman, a veteran himself of the current conflicts who probably has MORE deployment time under his belt than good ole LT Rieckhoff. Let’s not forget the VA’s YouTube page with useful videos and a Flikr account where you’ll find tons of pictures even Michael Yon would be envious of – if he ever looked at anything outside of his follicle mirror.

Meanwhile, all IAVA does is take credit for “partnering with” films nominated for Oscars when, in fact, doing nothing at all to support the film! This “partnership” he speaks of was limited to getting members to turn up at screenings. IAVA did not fund the making or distribution of the film.

IAVA is NOT representative of most troops I know as evidenced by the “report card” released last election cycle in which most conservative politicians got low grades while liberal ones got high ones! Partisan much?

I can’t prove it, but I’m pretty sure Rieckhoff’s coffers are getting low and a surefire way to refill them is to pander to his people – at HuffPo.

Hopefully, this can help some of you.

On July 6th, 2009.Dr. Georgy at the Ernest Childers VA Outpatient Clinic here in Tulsa, OK scheduled me for a Ultra Sound examination of my abdomen. It was conducted at the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center in Muskogee, OK.

On the morning of July 7th, 2009 Dr. Georgy called me and said that I needed an emergency operation to remove my gall bladder or I would die.

Today is August 26th, 2009. Exactly fifty-one days since I was told that I needed an “Emergency” operation to save my life. VA has no dam concern regarding my healthcare. VA is back to the same staff as they did before, under the Clinton Administration: which is “Delay, Deny and Hope you Die”. I spent 20 Years of my life defending my Country, was injured often but continued to serve.

Since July 7th 2009 VA has drug me through hell, disrupted my life, caused undo stress and burden upon myself, my wife and my family. This is an example of how VA treats the Veterans of our Country. Sweeps our lives under a carpet, out of sight and out of mind.

This veteran has been hung up on more than three times by the VA as he explained his issues because he was calling the wounded warrior hotline and he was a veteran.

Thankfully, guys like Dave at the Patriot Defenders Network are there for our veterans and trying to help. But, even they are running into brick walls in an inefficient system. Folks, if you think this story is bad, read the rest of it! How is it that we are STILL not taking care of our veterans? I thought these issues were supposed to be fixed as of the appointment of Secretary Shinseki to the post.