VA to begin accepting Post-9/11 GI Bill transfers Published Aug. 20, 2009 By Staff Report Air Force Reserve Command DENVER -- The Defense Department started accepting registrations June 29 to transfer servicemembers' Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to their spouses or children. Airmen must call the Air Reserve Personnel Center Education Counselor at 1800-525-0102 before registering online at www.dmdc.osd.mil. The site is accessible using a common access card, Defense Department self-service user identification or a Defense Finance and Accounting Service personal identification number. The Post-9/11 GI Bill is available to most Air Force Reserve members who have served a cumulative of at least 90 days of active duty since Sept. 11, 2001, other than annual or school tours. Defense officials are asking those whose families will not use the benefits for the upcoming fall semester, not to register until mid-July so applicants who need immediate attention can get processed first. The most current and accurate information on the new benefit is available at www.gibill.va.gov or by calling 1-888-GIBILL-1. The Department of Defense has a dedicated section on its Web site featuring articles, videos and specific implementation guidance on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, including guidance on transferability of benefits to family members. Airmen should first get counseling from their Education Center on GI Bill options. To be eligible to transfer benefits, Airmen must have at least four years left of retainability, unless retirement eligible. Airmen who need additional retainability should visit their servicing military personnel section for counseling on reenlisting or extending their current enlistment before applying to transfer their benefits. Airmen planning to transfer their benefits should verify family member information is accurate in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System. If family members are not in DEERS, Airmen cannot transfer benefits to them. Airmen apply to transfer benefits at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/TEB/. History of the GI Bill On June 22, 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law one of the most significant pieces of legislation ever produced by the United States government: The Servicemembers' Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights. By the time the original GI Bill ended in July 1956, 7.8 million World War II veterans had participated in an education or training program and 2.4 million veterans had home loans backed by the Veterans Administration. Today, the legacy of the original GI Bill lives on in the Montgomery GI Bill. For more information, visit www.va.gov.