The Defense Department has announced its policy for transferring educational benefits to the spouses and children of military service personnel under the post 9/11 GI Bill, which takes effect Aug. 1.

Service members may be eligible for benefits under the new law if they served at least 90 days’ active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged. Based on the length of active service, members are entitled to a percentage of the cost of tuition and fees, not to exceed the most expensive in-state undergraduate tuition at a public institution of higher learning.

Members not on active duty may also receive a monthly living stipend equal to the basic allowance for housing payable to a military E-5 grade with dependents, and to an annual $1,000 stipend for books and supplies.

Career service members on active duty or in the selected reserve on Aug. 1, and who are eligible for the post 9/11 GI Bill, may be entitled to transfer all or a portion of their education entitlement to one or more family members. To be eligible, service members must have served in the military for at least six years and agree to serve four additional years from the date of election to transfer.

Service members with at least 10 years of service, who by Defense Department or service policy are prevented from committing to four additional years, may transfer their benefits provided they commit for the maximum amount of time allowed by policy or statute.

Additionally, to maintain proper force structure and promotion opportunities, temporary rules have been developed for service members eligible to retire between Aug. 1, 2009, and Aug. 1, 2012. Depending on their retirement eligibility date, these service members will commit to one to three additional years, from the date of election to transfer.

Individual service branches will provide further implementation guidance. Eligible service members may make transfer designations by visiting this Web site: www.dmdc.osd.mil/TEB. The full transferability policy is available at www.defenselink.mil/news/DTM%2009-003%20Post%209-11%20GI%20Bill.pdf.

President Obama recently signed the 2009 war supplemental bill into law, which also establishes transferability of a maximum of 36 months of education benefits, called the Fry Scholarship, to surviving children of service members who died on active duty since 9/11. It also includes retroactive payments averaging $5,000 in back pay for all troops who, since 9/11, were held beyond their enlistment expirations before October 2008.

The Department of Veterans Affairs administers the post 9/11 GI Bill, and determines eligibility for education benefits. Further information on eligibility, benefit levels, and application procedures can be found at this VA Web site: www.gibill.va.gov.

R.I. Guard retirees raise funds for living memorial

The Rhode Island National Guard Retirees Association is raising funds for a National Guard Living Memorial being built at the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery, in Exeter. Groundbreaking for the memorial took place on May 23, and organizers are planning a formal dedication Sunday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m.

The association is selling laser-engraved bricks for $100 each in its effort to raise $215,000 for the project. The bricks will be engraved as the purchaser wishes, and will be placed at the foot of the display. Additional donations are also welcome, in any amount.

More than $50,000 has been raised and 234 laser bricks sold to date. The memorial’s granite columns and statue base will be installed mid-August, and landscaping and brick installation will be done by Oct. 16.

For more information, call George Hadley at (401) 724-5292 or Bob Urquhart at (401) 884-1277, or visit the association’s Web site at www.ringretirees.homestead.com/Memorial.html to download an order form. Brick orders will be taken until July 15.

La Salle to honor its vets

A small group of staff and alumni at La Salle Academy, in Providence, is hard at work finding the names of all La Salle Academy students who left school without graduating to join the armed forces during World War II.

The goal is to award honorary diplomas to those men or to their surviving kin. The diploma ceremony will take place at the school, 612 Academy Ave., on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. All La Salle alumni and Rhode Island veterans are invited to attend the ceremony.

Anyone with information should call Jeff Dennard at (401) 351-7750, ext. 188, or e-mail jdennard@lasalle-academy.org. The group is also willing to share its research techniques with any other high school group on a similar quest.

•Marine Corps League

Kent County Detachment will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday in VFW Post 449, Providence Street, West Warwick.

•Vietnam Veterans of America

Chapter 325 will meet Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at The Neighborhood Guild, 325 Columbia St., Peace Dale.

Send veterans’ meeting and news items to George W. Reilly at VeteransColumn@verizon.net or write to The Veterans Journal Column at The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902. Veterans’ meetings and feature items can be read and posted for free at projothebeat.com/