I did not know this about the GI Bill for Reservists

[Snoopy47]

Long and the short of it is I finally got systems access to ARNET (basically, I'm lazy with keeping my certs current, and the guy that always has access is the guy that gets dumped all the work), and I poked around my own HR records.

Turns out, yes, when you leave the Army you have 15 years to use your GI Bill (prior to 2013, I guess new entries don't expire after 2013 service).

Leaving the Army is defined as leaving ACTIVE DUTY!!!!!!!!! The clock starts at your first DD214.

So I notice my clock started back in 2012 when I graduated AIT. So parts of my GI Bill expire in less than 4 years.

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Now.... I submitted my request for GI Bill benefits yesterday, and hopefully that benefits letter will update my total service time and expiration date. So potentially this could all be cool, but when is the government know to make things cool for us.
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Just wanted to put it out there. I didn't know that. I had been walking around presuming I had 15 years after I finished with the reserves.

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Worst case is I start a degree program in Kinesiology, stack my classes with fitness classes, and burn up getting all my BAH money while getting swole by spending 6 hours a week exercising.

[Lonestargrizzly]

So even if you leave the reserves it still classifies it as active duty separation?
Does that change compensation rates?

[19K]

Originally Posted by Snoopy47

Long and the short of it is I finally got systems access to ARNET (basically, I'm lazy with keeping my certs current, and the guy that always has access is the guy that gets dumped all the work), and I poked around my own HR records.

Turns out, yes, when you leave the Army you have 15 years to use your GI Bill (prior to 2013, I guess new entries don't expire after 2013 service).

Leaving the Army is defined as leaving ACTIVE DUTY!!!!!!!!! The clock starts at your first DD214.

So I notice my clock started back in 2012 when I graduated AIT. So parts of my GI Bill expire in less than 4 years.

**********
Now.... I submitted my request for GI Bill benefits yesterday, and hopefully that benefits letter will update my total service time and expiration date. So potentially this could all be cool, but when is the government know to make things cool for us.
**********

Just wanted to put it out there. I didn't know that. I had been walking around presuming I had 15 years after I finished with the reserves.

*********
Worst case is I start a degree program in Kinesiology, stack my classes with fitness classes, and burn up getting all my BAH money while getting swole by spending 6 hours a week exercising.

Make sure they are all different classes. If I recall you cannot take the same course over and over and get paid. That’s what our VA rep told us about taking PE every semester. Same with retaking failed classes.

[Supersapper]

Snoop dog,

Almost right. When you get your letter with the awarding, look at the date in the letter. If it says "There is no time limit to use these benefits" for the expiration, then you have the "Forever 9/11" Gi Bill.

Good til you die.

Sapper

[Snoopy47]

Originally Posted by Supersapper

Snoop dog,

Almost right. When you get your letter with the awarding, look at the date in the letter. If it says "There is no time limit to use these benefits" for the expiration, then you have the "Forever 9/11" Gi Bill.

Good til you die.

Sapper

Roger that. I did see the rules were changed AFTER I enlisted. That is what my letter says.

So I'll be 60......... taking some BS class at a local JC and everyone around me wondering why this old idiot grandpa is taking art history. I'll just be there to cash in my BAH with minimal work.

[Supersapper]

Originally Posted by Snoopy47

Roger that. I did see the rules were changed AFTER I enlisted. That is what my letter says.

So I'll be 60......... taking some BS class at a local JC and everyone around me wondering why this old idiot grandpa is taking art history. I'll just be there to cash in my BAH with minimal work.

Join the club, although it's not BS for me. I'm completing 2 x AA degrees in an effort to do a few things. First, I want to teach JROTC when I retire and hope that moving toward a BS degree in Kinesiology will get tme there since many school districts now require authorization to teach PE for PE credit. The other reason is that I hope it moves me toward promotion. I know it isn't an advanced degree (I don't have a Master's yet), but I'm hoping the promo board will give me at aleast some credit for moving my education along the aforementioned second BS degree.

[Snoopy47]

Originally Posted by Supersapper

and hope that moving toward a BS degree in Kinesiology

I was going to do the same. Basically, the intent is to stack all the fitness courses like weight training, and cardio stuff and use up all my GI bill doing as much of that as possible.

#1 reason, jack up my ACFT and get paid for it.

Then when I run out of GI bill, then too bad soo sad I quit the program. I already have a Master's degree, 2-BS's and 2-AA's. I just want the coin with the least amount of "academic" effort.

Local JC but with Bay Area BAH.