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Subject: Blue Beauty Author: Mike [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 23:42:51 05/24/10 Mon I was rereading Blue Beauty and got to the point where Trey was talking about his time in the Army. I hate to tell Wes this; but in the early 80's the Army dropped all specialist ranks for combat arms, and later on they were dropped from the rest of the Army as well. Speedy 4 became corporal long before Trey could have joined. The GI bill was also dropped sometime in the late 80's. New enlistees had to contribute to an education fund and the Army would provide matching funds after they were discharged. All that aside, I love this story and am on my second reread while waiting for the next chapter of Square One. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

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[> Subject: Re: Blue Beauty Author: Joe WIlliams [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 00:18:26 05/25/10 Tue >I was rereading Blue Beauty and got to the point where >Trey was talking about his time in the Army. I hate to >tell Wes this; but in the early 80's the Army dropped >all specialist ranks for combat arms, and later on >they were dropped from the rest of the Army as well. >Speedy 4 became corporal long before Trey could have >joined. Actually, I entered the Army (reserves) in 1990, getting out in 1994 (medical due to issues with my knees that eventually required surgery) but SPC (E-4) was my final rank when I left. As a rank, it's the only specialist rank that still exists, corporal is the equivalent E4 rank if you're in a (junior) leadership position, although I've personally never met anyone in that rank. SPC is still listed on the army.mil web site in their rank and insignia page @ http://www.army.mil/symbols/armyranks.html JW

[> Subject: Re: Blue Beauty Author: Rob [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 09:07:04 05/26/10 Wed >The GI bill was also dropped sometime in the late >80's. New enlistees had to contribute to an education >fund and the Army would provide matching funds after >they were discharged. The GI bill still exists under that name. Check out the following page giving a brief history of the main revisions of that program. http://www.gibill.va.gov/GI_Bill_Info/history.htm While there was no mention of it in Blue Beauty, in many cases a veteran can get college credit for some of the training he underwent while in the military. That can reduce the time needed to graduate by a semester without taking any summer classes. I know of Marines who as part of their duties had to take some college courses. In that case the government paid for their tuition. If those Marines were absent from that class they would be held accountable for that absence before their NCOs or Officers. Rob That does not count any other scholarships that might have been given due to military service.

[> Subject: Re: Blue Beauty Author: Mocha1120 [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 23:48:37 05/27/10 Thu >I was rereading Blue Beauty and got to the point where >Trey was talking about his time in the Army. I hate to >tell Wes this; but in the early 80's the Army dropped >all specialist ranks for combat arms, and later on >they were dropped from the rest of the Army as well. >Speedy 4 became corporal long before Trey could have >joined. >The GI bill was also dropped sometime in the late >80's. New enlistees had to contribute to an education >fund and the Army would provide matching funds after >they were discharged. >All that aside, I love this story and am on my second >reread while waiting for the next chapter of Square >One. Mike, Until the middle 1970's the U.S. Army recognized the ranks of Specialist-4 (E-4) Specialist-5 (E-5) and Specialist-6 (E-6) the Army did away with the ranks of Spec-5 and Spec-6 and renamed Spec-4 as Specialist (SPC). During the in the late 1990's and early 2000's my son was a Specialist until he was promoted to Sargent. Currently my daughter is a Specialist who should be promoted to Sargent before September. So the Specialist rank, the successor of the Tech Corporal rank, is still alive and well in the U.S. Army. Outside of infantry units you will almost never see a Corporal in the Army. The GI Bill disappeared from 1976 until 1985. In 1984 Congress passed the Montgomery GI Bill which became effective 1985. Now soldiers must contribute $1,200 to receive the benefits. The amounts vary based on the soldier earned it and when they used it. The GI Bill was revised again in 2008. At the time Trey served he qualified for the GI Bill and should have received about $1,150 a month for thirty six months of school which means four academic years of nine months each. By loading up and pushing I managed to turn my GI Bill payments in the 1970's into a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree. I did not receive payments for the last three months of my Master's program but I was paid for the rest of the time.

[> [> Subject: Re: Blue Beauty Author: Tucson [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 23:31:18 05/28/10 Fri I stiil haven't figured this damn forum procedure so bare with me here. I left the Army in 68 as a Sp6 It was the perfect rank. No one knew what to do with me. At muster formation the First shirt would release all NCOs then E-5 and below for police call. I would remain standing and the first shirt would look at me and with a snarl say Smith just go. >>I was rereading Blue Beauty and got to the point where >>Trey was talking about his time in the Army. I hate to >>tell Wes this; but in the early 80's the Army dropped >>all specialist ranks for combat arms, and later on >>they were dropped from the rest of the Army as well. >>Speedy 4 became corporal long before Trey could have >>joined. >>The GI bill was also dropped sometime in the late >>80's. New enlistees had to contribute to an education >>fund and the Army would provide matching funds after >>they were discharged. >>All that aside, I love this story and am on my second >>reread while waiting for the next chapter of Square >>One. > >Mike, Until the middle 1970's the U.S. Army recognized >the ranks of Specialist-4 (E-4) Specialist-5 (E-5) and >Specialist-6 (E-6) the Army did away with the ranks of >Spec-5 and Spec-6 and renamed Spec-4 as Specialist >(SPC). During the in the late 1990's and early 2000's >my son was a Specialist until he was promoted to >Sargent. Currently my daughter is a Specialist who >should be promoted to Sargent before September. So >the Specialist rank, the successor of the Tech >Corporal rank, is still alive and well in the U.S. >Army. Outside of infantry units you will almost never >see a Corporal in the Army. > >The GI Bill disappeared from 1976 until 1985. In 1984 >Congress passed the Montgomery GI Bill which became >effective 1985. Now soldiers must contribute $1,200 >to receive the benefits. The amounts vary based on >the soldier earned it and when they used it. The GI >Bill was revised again in 2008. At the time Trey >served he qualified for the GI Bill and should have >received about $1,150 a month for thirty six months of >school which means four academic years of nine months >each. > >By loading up and pushing I managed to turn my GI Bill >payments in the 1970's into a Bachelor's Degree and a >Master's Degree. I did not receive payments for the >last three months of my Master's program but I was >paid for the rest of the time.