Bob Filner: “recently the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that, ``we remain committed to maintaining quality personnel…”

“recently the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that, ``we remain committed to maintaining quality personnel, and recruiters from all Services have stated the Montgomery GI bill is the best recruitment tool they have.'' I have had the great pleasure of serving on the Veterans' Affairs Committee with the Honorable G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery, the principal author and sponsor of the newest GI bill. It is no surprise that the Department of Defense's latest evaluation of the Montgomery GI bill strongly supports this program's continuation. Sonny designed the new GI bill with great care and after extensive hearings which included more than 200 witnesses. Because of his careful attention to program structure, the Montgomery GI bill has been uniquely successful and has fulfilled all of its intended purposes. As noted in a recent report, the percentage of new recruits choosing to enroll in the GI bill has risen from 50 percent at the program's inception in 1985 to a remarkable 95 percent in fiscal year 1995. Since the implementation of the Montgomery GI bill, more than 2 million active-duty recruits have elected to participate in the program--vividly demonstrating the attractiveness of this GI bill to the young people entering the Armed Forces.”