Army Transferability of Montgomery GI Bill Benefits to Spouses Program

What is it? The transferability of Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) benefits to spouses is a retention incentive used by the Army to target Soldiers with at least six years of service who reenlist for a minimum of four years. Education benefits are a key component of the incentive package used by the Army to attract and retain quality Soldiers. At the foundation of these benefits is the MGIB. 2002 National Defense Authorization Act, Public Law 107-107, Sect 654 allows Soldiers in critical skills, as determined by their Service Secretary, the ability to transfer MGIB benefits to dependents under certain conditions. The Fiscal Year 2006 basic monthly MGIB benefit for full-time training for veterans is $1,034 (indexed annually). Soldiers who qualify can transfer up to 18 of 36 months of entitlement equaling over $18,000 in benefits.

What has the Army done? On 21 July 2005, the Army announced the implementation of a pilot program allowing Regular Army enlisted Soldiers serving in critical skills who reenlist the ability to transfer MGIB benefits to their spouse. The current version of MGIB Transferability of Benefits law contains restrictive language. The restriction applies to the requirement for Soldiers to possess a critical military skill designated by the Service Secretary. The Army defines critical skill as any Soldier who qualifies for a Selective Reenlistment Bonus under current messages at the time of reenlistment. Soldiers must have completed at least six years of service in the Armed Forces and reenlist for a minimum of four years.

What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future? As the Army continues to transform, the Army Retention Program will be adjusted to encourage the right Soldiers with the right skills to reenlist to meet the manning requirements of the Army. Careful and deliberate adjustments will be made as necessary to all our reenlistment incentives in order to retain our most precious resource - Soldiers. During the MGIB Transferability of Benefits Pilot Program, the Army will pursue expanding this program to all Soldiers to include the United States Army Reserve and the Army National Guard.

Why is this important to the Army? A successful retention program is critical to properly manning the Army. Army Reenlistment incentives assist in meeting our retention objectives. Education benefits are a key component of the incentive package used by the Army to attract and retain quality Soldiers. The Army continues to focus on and provide support to Soldier's families because it is the right thing to do, and because we know that we recruit Soldiers, but retain families.