MonticelloLive

As we celebrate Independence Day this week, it is important that we take time to reflect on the countless contributions by numerous Americans that have helped make our nation what it is today. During this patriotic national holiday in which families and friends join together in fellowship, we must also remember to salute those brave men and women who are currently serving overseas.
These soldiers have made a tremendous sacrifice to honorably serve our country, and I was proud to join with my colleagues recently to uphold America’s promise to them. The “Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008,” commonly referred to as the new G.I. Bill, will make a significant investment in higher education to prepare the 24 million American veterans of today and tomorrow for their return to the workforce.
More than 18,700 Arkansans have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001. Unfortunately, current benefits pay only about 70 percent of a public college education. Under this new G.I. Bill, veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will receive up to a full, four-year college scholarship based on their time of service in Iraq and Afghanistan. The legislation will also provide opportunities to allow veterans to transfer those benefits to family members. This bill gives our returning troops, including those in the National Guard and the Reserve, the tools to succeed after military service, and it also serves as an important tool to increase recruitment as we work to rebuild our military.
With 3,000 National Guard members of Arkansas’s 39th Infantry Brigade currently serving their second tour of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, we must not forget to keep these men and women along with their families in our thoughts and prayers. I remain committed to serving our nation’s soldiers and veterans and will continue to advocate on their behalf in Washington both while they are overseas and when they return home.