here's the deal. I am a Reserve Marine. I've been in the Reserves since 2001 (actually contracted in 2000). I was called up twice, once for Operation Enduring Freedom and once for Iraqi Freedom. Both times I served a full year activation and returned to regular drilling status. oorah for me, right?
And then about a year ago, Congress passed the Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP). What it does is give Reservists who have been called to active duty an extra amount in their monthly Reserve GI Bill assistance. great! not so fast. It turns out that, to recieve this extra benefit, you must remain in the Selected Reserve (that means actively drilling). Now in my case I have drilled up to and past my obligation. I could have stopped drilling last February, had I so chosen. Instead, I continued to put in my one weekend a month and two weeks a year and remained eligible to call to Active Duty. Now I have only about six months of my contract left before I am seperated entirely from the Marine Corps. I've been looking into finishing my degree and found that I can jump into some online courses in April or May and maybe even finish this degree that I started way back in 1994 (yeah...I know).
HOWEVER. Should I choose to transfer to the IRR (individual ready reserve..or non drilling reserve)
THEN I LOSE
ALL of my access to Reserve GI Bill money. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. "Thanks for sticking around, but fuck you all the same, SGT. Here's to your dead end job that you want out of. May it last you a lifetime. hahahahaha!" It turns out getting activated (twice) and being sent overseas to be shot at and whatnot wasn't enough. It's not even enough that I do that AND fulfill the terms of my military contract. I must continue to drill past my obligation even though my contract specifically says that after six years, my service requirement to drill is considered fulfilled.
and here's the real kicker:
If I were to REENLIST in the IRR, that means continue to make myself available for recall for military duty, though not actively drilling, I would still lose all my educational benefits. How's that for fucked?
I spent almost an hour and half on the phone with the VA today...probably half of it on hold...and this is what they've told me. So basically, I can choose to keep drilling (which means I wouldn't be able to go to school, because I'd have to be gone for a month this summer for Annual Training) or I can try to go to school, but not recieve any money from the military to help me.
gee, Uncle Sam....you are really fuckin' welcome.
edit to add: there is a provision that if I get out of the Marine Corps (finish my contract in its entirety) while still drilling, then I do get an extra ten years to use the money. But that just seems ridiculous to me. I do all but the last six months so that I can try to get into classes and finish my degree by the before the end of the year...and I lose EVERYTHING?
