Statement from Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta Improving Educational Benefits for Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families
April 27, 2012

“I applaud the steps President and Mrs. Obama announced today to ensure military and veterans’ educational benefits meet the needs of service members, veterans, and their families.

“Ensuring quality educational opportunities are available to those who have served our nation in uniform is an essential part of enabling them to compete in today’s economy. These men and women have fought and risked their lives for this country. They represent a generation of Americans returning home from war with unique experience and skills that make them invaluable in schools, workplaces, and communities across America and the world.

“Yet the demands of military service sometimes make it difficult to find the right information from schools, particularly those engaged in aggressive and deceptive recruiting practices. This initiative will ensure that service members, veterans, and their families have the information and support they need to make informed decisions about their well-earned educational benefits. This effort helps preserve our nation’s legacy, going back to the original GI Bill, of doing all that we can to help our troops lead productive and successful lives after leaving the military.

“Today’s announcement is another important example of our strong support for those who serve in the military and their families. I thank the President and the First Lady for their commitment to these brave young men and women.”