Chuck Hagel and Jim Webb have an op-ed in today's Times pushing for a new G.I. Bill to help Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. This comes at the heels of yesterday's report about how quickly these veterans are turning up homeless. One in four homeless people in the United States is a veteran, and according to the Veterans Affairs Department, more than 400 vets from the current wars are already homeless. In addition to providing better medical and mental health services for soldiers when they return, providing more support for education is the pathway to a better life post-war. Right now, all vets have is the paltry Montgomery G.I. Bill, which requires that service members pay $100 a month into for the first year of enlistment in order to receive about $800 a month for college later on. That isn't even enough to attend most community colleges these days. Supporting a new G.I. Bill seems like a pretty easy case to make.
--Kate Sheppard
