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GI Bill for post 9-11 veterans

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There’s a new GI Bill. This one funds free tuition for military veterans who served in Afghanistan or Iraq. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with Iraq war veteran David Wang about his graduate-school plans under the new GI bill.

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LISA MULLINS: In a moment we’re going to look at the role of America’s allies in Afghanistan but first military veterans who served in Afghanistan and in Iraq are now eligible for four years of college on the US government’s dime. This weekend marked the start of a new GI Bill to help veterans who served overseas after 9/11. President Barack Obama spoke today at a celebration rally at George Mason University in Virginia.

BARACK OBAMA: We owe a debt to all who serve. And when we repay that debt to those bravest American’s among us then we are investing in our future. Not just their future but also the future of our own country.

MULLINS: That’s President Obama earlier today. The new program funds free tuition at public colleges and universities or provides financial assistance toward private college tuition. David Wong is veteran of the war in Iraq. David which branch of the military were you in?

DAVID WONG: I was in the Marine Corps.

MULLINS: For how long?

WONG: Four years.

MULLINS: Four years and how many tours did you have in Iraq?

WONG: I did two.

MULLINS: Can you tell us a little bit about it, where you were.

WONG: Yeah I was out in the Al Anbar Province which is really where the marine core had their area of responsibility.

MULLINS: And how did that go? What can you tell us about it?

WONG: It was a phenomenal experience. I definitely learned a lot.

MULLINS: You’re out of the marine core now. When you signed on though, this was what year?

WONG: 2004.

MULLINS: 2004 so you pretty well knew that if you became a marine then that you were going to be sent overseas probably to Iraq at the time.

WONG: I mean absolutely there were no false expectations there.

MULLINS: At that time when you signed on there were some benefits afforded people like you once you left but certainly not the more generous benefits that are being offered as of this past weekend. Did that have an influence on you at the time on your signing up, anywhere, the benefits that would come to you afterwards?

WONG: No not at all. I mean I think most people go into the marine core to be a marine not for any schooling education that they may be getting afterwards.

MULLINS: Are you in school now?

WONG: Yes I am.

MULLINS: Getting which degree?

WONG: I’ll be getting my MBA.

MULLINS: From where?

WONG: University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School.

MULLINS: So how are the benefits that are now yours, how are you going to use them?

WONG: I think it just gives me a lot more financial flexibility where I’m not going to have to take out nearly the amount of loans to pay off school.

MULLINS: Do you place any pretence in some of the criticism about a program like this that it will cause more GIs to leave or more marines to leave the military sooner then they might have otherwise to not re-up or that there are those people who might join the military because of what’s on the other end which clearly is going to cost the United States a lot. This is a $78 billion bill.

WONG: I mean I think that’s a possibility that I’m sure they’ve done a lot of studies on. But like anything else yeah you’re going to have more people that sign up and as a result some people are going to find out, you know this is something I really like and I want to do it for a very long time. So I think it works both ways.

MULLINS: Let me ask you this. Reservist national guard members are also going to be getting this benefit. Anyone who has been in combat in Afghanistan, in Iraq, has seen more than most Americans can even imagine. Is there, when we talk about sacrifice, is there any way that this could help ameliorate some of what service people like you have been through.

WONG: I mean it’s definitely a sense of show of goodwill here where people are going, absolutely, feel a little more appreciated because I mean some of these young marines and soldiers went off multiple tours and had to endure these conditions. Now that they’re coming home the government is helping them open up a whole new window of opportunity for them.

MULLINS: David how old are you?

WONG: I’m 25.

MULLINS: And what are you going to be doing once you finish your MBA?

WONG: I’m hopefully looking to start working in the financial sector.

MULLINS: In the financial sector.

WONG: Right. I think it’d be a good time to get in.

MULLINS: Exactly they could use a few good men or women. David we wish you the best of luck. It sounds like you’re going to be putting your benefits to pretty good use.

WONG: That’s the plan.

MULLINS: Alright well we wish you the best of luck. David Wong, veteran of two tours of duty with the marine core in Iraq. Nice to speak with you.

WONG: Thank you.

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