Force shaping impact on education benefits

  • Published
  • By Spencer Adams and Ingrid Callahan
  • 341st Force Support Squadron
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Recently, the Air Force announced sweeping reductions in personnel. With nearly 25,000 enlisted and officers being released for various reasons, information is bound to be distorted or completely taken out of context. As you weigh your future possibilities, you will rely on base agencies, the Air Force portal, Veterans Affairs and a host of other services to give you the most current, accurate information possible. Your Malmstrom Air Force Base Education and Training Center will play a pivotal role in filtering the data with regards to military tuition assistance and GI Bill benefits.

Regarding TA, just keep in mind that regardless of the force shaping program for which you are approved, if you are in a class and utilizing TA, all final grades must be received 14 days prior to your release date. This will mean working with your instructor to complete the course early. If you withdraw from the course, fail the course, or do not provide a timely final grade, you will be responsible for paying back the TA. There will be no waivers granted.

What is important to note is that the vast majority of members will retain 100 percent of their MGIB or Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits. That being said, you must still meet all the eligibility requirements, including serving at least 30 months of a 3-or-more-year commitment or at least 20 months of a commitment less than 3 years to be eligible for the MGIB. For the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you must have served a minimum of 90 aggregate days of Post 9/11 service following technical school. If you have the MGIB, you also have the Post 9/11. If you are unsure which bill you fall under, call the VA at 1-888-442-4551.

The greatest educational impact of the force shaping programs is on the Post 9/11 Transfer of Education Benefits, or TEB, to dependents. Bottom line is that if you were approved for the transfer prior to selection to retire or separate, you retain your benefit and will simply need to contact the Total Force Service Center to have your active duty service commitment/obligation end date adjusted to your new date of separation. Please remember that anyone with less than 6 years based on their total active federal military service date is ineligible for TEB, period. If you were not approved for TEB prior to selection to retire or separate, you are ineligible to apply. Keep in mind that the normal approval process takes at least two weeks.

Of even greater impact is the recoupment requirement for those with an approved TEB but who are now voluntarily separating or retiring in lieu of meeting the Quality Force Review Board or the Enlisted Retention Board. You may very likely forfeit the transferred benefit, and any benefits already used by your dependents will be subject to recoupment. This excludes Temporary Early Retirement Authority and Voluntary Separation Program only.

For greater clarification, we highly recommend attending one of our two MGIB-Post 9/11 briefings at the Education and Training Center held the first Thursday of every month at 10 a.m. and the third Friday each month at 1 p.m. You may also contact the education center at 731-3531; however, your primary point of contact is the Total Force Center at 1-800-525-0102 (DSN 665-0102), or you may email the Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center organizational box at afpc.dpsitedu@us.af.mil.