DoD Concedes on Reservists' Benefits by M.C.

U.S. Department of Defense officials are "breaking the law" by failing to notify some reservists they qualify for education benefits, Connecticut state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal charged.

Blumenthal was joined by an equally angry U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-3 and Giacomo "Jack" Mordente, director of veterans affairs at Southern Connecticut State University during a news conference at SCSU.

With them was SCSU senior John Deluz of New Haven, who initially was told by the Defense Department that he was not entitled to the benefits, but who through Mordente's efforts will belatedly receive $6,462.

Within hours of the news conference, a Defense Department representative said officials from each reserve component will be advised of "this change" and that the department's Web site will be updated to acknowledge it.

The New Haven Register reported in November on Mordente's discovery of the largely ignored law, a finding that had nationwide ramifications for reservists.

But even after Mordente won an admission from a Defense Department official that he was correctly interpreting the law, Mordente remained frustrated that the Defense Department refused to set up a plan to notify reservists about it.

Mordente told those at the news conference, which included about 15 veterans, that Deluz' experience reflected what has happened to reservists across the country.

Deluz enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1999, was ordered to active duty within the United States in October 2001 to October 2002, was again called up to serve in Kuwait and Iraq from February 2003 to December 2003 and then returned to SCSU.

But when Deluz decided to leave the reserve, his military superiors told him his education benefits had then ceased.

Mordente later informed Deluz they were wrong, and helped Deluz get the benefits retroactively. In May, he will graduate with a degree in accounting.

"It's really important the word get out to the veterans who have served that these benefits are owed to them," Deluz said.

Afterward, Deluz said, "When we were called to duty, we didn't make excuses. We left our families, our jobs and schools. We were given a week to get ready. So it shouldn't take three years to find a resolution to this issue."

He added, "I've had to cover my expenses for three years."

Blumenthal, who served in the Marine Corps Reserve, said the Defense Department's actions with reservists have been "unconscionable and reprehensible. It has been breaking the law and misinforming countless reservists about their rights. ... This denial of benefits is blatantly illegal."

DeLauro said the Defense Department "undermines our country's promise to these young men about their military service."

Noting, "When they're recruited, they're given a lot of promises," that DeLauro said the department is "reneging" on.

She said her March 28 letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates about this issue has not received a response.

But later Monday, Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke from the Office of the Secretary of Defense sent an e-mail response after the Register asked her for comment, attributing it to an unnamed Defense Department official: "Reaching common ground on this issue is a recent occurrence. To inform members of this change, the department is meeting with the G.I. Bill senior representatives from each reserve component to advise them of this change."

She added, "We are updating the Reserve Affairs Web site and modifying regulatory guidance to incorporate this change."