R 281534Z APR 09 ZUI ASN-A00118000017 ZYB
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-12//
TO ALCOAST
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UNCLAS //N01500//
ALCOAST 250/09
COMDTNOTE 1500
SUBJ: POST-9/11 VETERANS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2008
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 162125Z JAN 09. ALCOAST 044/09
B. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 181351Z SEP 08. ALCOAST 447/08
C. CHAPTER 33 OF TITLE 38, U.S. CODE
1. THIS IS THE THIRD ALCOAST PROVIDING AN UPDATE TO THE POST-9/11
G.I. BILL WHICH GOES INTO EFFECT ON 1 AUGUST 2009. MEMBERS ARE
ENCOURAGED TO REVIEW REFERENCES A AND B FOR BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
2. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS QUESTIONS REGARDING THE POST-9/11 G.I.
BILL.  IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS IS A DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA) PROGRAM, AND THE BEST SOURCE FOR CURRENT
INFORMATION IS THE VA WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.GIBILL.VA.GOV.
3. ELIGIBILITY: THE POST-9/11 GI BILL, AUTHORIZED UNDER REFERENCE
C, IS AN AUTOMATIC ENTITLEMENT GENERALLY AVAILABLE TO
SERVICEMEMBERS WITH AT LEAST 90 DAYS OF ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE
FOLLOWING 11 SEPTEMBER 2001. NO ACTION IS REQUIRED BY MEMBERS UNTIL
THEY EITHER 1) APPLY TO RECEIVE BENEFITS, 2) SEEK TO
TRANSFER BENEFIT ELIGIBILITY TO DEPENDENTS, OR 3) ARE CURRENTLY
ELIGIBLE FOR ANOTHER EDUCATION BENEFIT (MGIB, MGIB-SR, REAP) AND
WHO SEEK ELIGIBILITY UNDER THE POST-9/11 GI BILL.
4. APPLICATION AND/OR CONVERSION:
 A. STARTING 1 MAY 2009, THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WILL
BEGIN ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE POST-9/11 GI BILL FOR MEMBERS
WHO APPLY TO RECEIVE BENEFITS. THE APPLICATION FORM WILL BE
AVAILABLE ONLINE.  VA WILL PROCESS APPLICATIONS FOR POST-9/11 GI
BILL BENEFITS AND YOU WILL RECEIVE A LETTER EXPLAINING VA'S
DECISION REGARDING YOUR ELIGIBILITY FOR THE PROGRAM. PAYOUTS FOR
THE POST-9/11 GI BILL ARE NOT ANTICIPATED TO BE PROCESSED UNTIL 15
AUGUST 2009. THIS FORM IS NOT DESIGNED TO ELECT TRANSFER OF
BENEFITS. TRANSFER OF BENEFITS WILL BE HANDLED AS GENERALLY
OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPH 5.
 B. INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE UNDER  ANOTHER EDUCATION BENEFIT (MGIB,
MGIB-SR, REAP),WHO SEEK ELIGIBILITY UNDER THE POST-9/11 GI BILL ARE
ALSO DIRECTED TO THE APPLICATION FORM ON THE VA WEBSITE. THE
APPLICATION FORM REQUIRES THAT INDIVIDUALS MAKE AN IRREVOCABLE
ELECTION TO CONVERT FROM THEIR EXISTING PROGRAM TO THE POST-9/11 GI
BILL.
5. TRANSFER OF BENEFITS TO DEPENDENTS:
 A. THE VA IS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
FOR TRANSFER OF BENEFITS ON OR ABOUT 15 JUNE 2009, VIA A WEB-BASED
PORTAL.THROUGH THE WEB-BASED PORTAL, A TRANSFERABILITY APPLICATION
IS REQUIRED TO BE APPROVED BY COAST GUARD OFFICIALS TO ENSURE THE
SERVICEMEMBER HAS OBLIGATED ANY REQUIRED ADDITIONAL SERVICE. WITH
COAST GUARD APPROVAL, THE APPLICATION WILL THEN BE AUTOMATICALLY
FORWARDED TO VA FOR REVIEW AND COMPLETION. CG-122, PSC, AND PPC ARE
CURRENTLY ESTABLISHING AN AUGMENTATION TEAM TO SUPPORT THIS
FUNCTION TO ENSURE ALL SERVICEMEMBERS SEEKING TO TRANSFER BENEFITS
ARE ABLE TO DO SO.
 B. THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (OSD) HAS NOT YET
RELEASED THE FINAL POLICY ON TRANSFERABILITY, SPECIFICALLY AS IT
RELATES TO REQUIRED ADDITIONAL OBLIGATED SERVICE. THERE WERE
SEVERAL FEATURES AND ELEMENTS TO THIS POLICY THAT, WHILE DELAYING
ITS RELEASE, ARE NEEDED TO ADDRESS MEMBERS WHO ARE RETIREMENT
ELIGIBLE BETWEEN 2009 AND 2012. WE UNDERSTAND THAT MANY
SERVICEMEMBERS ARE CONCERNED WITH THE IMPLICATIONS THIS POLICY MAY
HAVE ON CAREER DECISIONS AND FAMILY EDUCATION BENEFITS. AS SOON AS
THE TRANSFERABILITY POLICY IS PUBLISHED, WE WILL ENSURE THAT ALL
SERVICEMEMBERS ARE AWARE AND THAT COAST GUARD POLICY IS PROMULGATED
EXPEDITIOUSLY. WE ARE ACTIVELY COORDINATING WITH OSD AND THE DOD
SERVICES TO PROMULGATE APPROPRIATE POLICY, AND WE ENVISION PARITY
IN TRANSFERABILITY POLICIES ACROSS ALL SERVICES.
6. CAPT A. R. GENTILELLA, ACTING DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT,
SENDS.
7. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
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