European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 15, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pago 8 the stars and stripes monday december 15,1986 new go Bill working official says by Chuck Vinch Washington Bamra Washington some military officials would Tike to change the nov go Bill 10 make ii More attractive but inc chairman or the House veterans affairs committee said the program is working too Well to Linker with it now. There May be some changes needed such As stretching out payments by participants and making impossible to get refunds rep. Sonny Montgomery d miss said in an interview. But that s Down the Road he said. Frankly after visiting bases last Moth and seeing How the program is being received i m convinced that if we make changes at All. We should make them very slowly. It s working so Well. Why fool with it compared to the veterans educational assistance program the program in use since the old go Bill ended in 1977, the new go Bill is indeed working Well. Service statistics show Only 37 percent of those eligible sign up for the year and almost half eventually apply for refunds of their contributions. The average participation rate Tor the new go Bill is 56 percent. For the army which has the additional lure of the army College fund the participation Rale is almost 75 percent. Under leap participants pay up to $2,700, wit the government giving s2 for every Al contributed by the member. Under the new go bin members comb ule $100 a month Tor the first 12 months of their enlistment and then can receive $9,goo in educational  leap allows for refunds while the new go Bui does not an aspect of the program that has been questioned by Many participants and some officials who administer in. And a change that took effect with the enactment of a veterans benefits Bill oct. 28 May make it impossible to arrange for refunds Pentagon officials say. The veterans Bill categorized members payments 10 the new cd Bill As tax tree income treating them As reductions in pay rather than contributions. Montgom Ery said thai provides savings of about $20 to $25 a month for those paying into the program. But because the contributions revert directly to the Treasury the Money never technically belongs to participants. Montgomery admits that this makes the question of refunds More difficult but he said it s not a problem. We can change that around later he said. But i m not convinced thai it should be easier to get re funds. The idea is not to give refunds bul to give service members a College education so they can improve their  Montgomery is behind a move to repeal the leap program effective March 31, 1987, to strengthen the new go Bill before the end or its three year lest in july 1988. A puzzled by Lack of interest in education assistance benefits by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington almost 270,000 servicemen hers and veterans who paid into the veterans educational assistance program have not taken advantage of the benefits. Veterans administration officials said. Thai figure represents More than 22 percent of Al those participating in the program a officials said. These people paid up to s2.700 each into Thev eap fund bul have since failed to sign up for Bene fits Worth More than $8,100," a a spokesman said. As of sept. 30, about 295,000 service members were contributing to the program to qualify for schooling benefits. A statistics show. About 1  veterans already had received schooling and 30.000 were Lakin courses through the program. Refunds had been Given " Aboul 543,000  the accounts of almost 270,000 Are inactive. A of officials Are puzzled by the apparent Lack of interest m the program by Hose who already have contributed to we really Don t know Why thai number is so High the spokesman said. Your guess is As Good As mine he said participants May have family health or Job problems 10 resolve before they think about returning to  May have married and had children and just Haven t had the Chance to fit school into their sched Ules. We just Don t know. No research has been done on  qualify for leap service members contribute up to j2.700 Over their tour of Active duly. The govern ment will pay $2 for every s1 contributed by the individual. The maximum Benefit is sb.100 for up to 36months. Some military skills qualify for extra bonuses. Participants can begin using the benefits during the last six months of their first Lour or any time after their sixth year of Active duty if they choose to stay in the military the spokesman said. Once they leave the service they must use the Bene fits within 10 years or they will be declared ineligible. There is no time limit for obtain ing refunds on Coli to  is the military education program for those who came on Active duty Between Jan. I 1977, when the old cd Bill expired and july 1,1985, the Date the new go Bill was enacted. Leap will end March 31, 1987, As part of a move by rep. Sonny Montgomeryd miss. To strengthen the position of the new of Bill which he believes is vastly  Wilt not be allowed to enrol m leap after that Date although people already enrolled still can contribute to the fund and collect benefits. Marcos Hopes for Miracle return Manila Philippines a deposed president Ferdinand e. Marcos in a voice Lape broadcast on sunday said he Hopes that some Miracle will allow him to return to his Homeland during Christmas. Meanwhile the Board of air transport has closed the Laoag Airport in Marcos Home Region of lie co none to All private aircraft Airport officials said. Manila newspapers said the move was to prevent any attempt by Marcos to re enter the country. In a message broadcast on the private radio station dec Marcos who lives in exile in Hawaii said this is my prayer this is my Hope that t see you soon. To each and every one of you i say if we do not see each other soon merry Christmas and a Happy new year although it is my Hope that somehow by a Miracle we will see each other in those holidays the former ruler said. Marcos who spoke in English and in the local Ilocano dialect referred to president Corazon Aquino As this woman who is under the control and who is a Dummy of  he criticized Aquino s peace policy toward insurgents saying the communists have their own timetable for grabbing Power in the Philippines. The government has signed a 60-Day cease fire agreement with rebels. Military reports indicate that the 4-Day-old truce is holding. Marcos accused the Aquino government of corrupt gel Tion and said Why does she not talk about this openly and then after that after having said her men culpa my fault then perhaps we can forgive  since his ouster in a february revolt Marcos has repeatedly vowed he will return someday. His support ers in Manila have claimed on several occasions that Bis return was imminent. The Bureau of air transport barred All private air Craft from Landing at Laoag Airport 250 Miles North of Manila in an order issued on Friday. The Bureau took the same action in september when rumours were Nee that Marcos was about to return to the country. The Manila newspaper sunday times quoting military sources reported sunday that Marcos for Mer military chief Gen. Fabian ver. Arrived in the Nocos Region by boat on Friday to prepare for mar cos coming. " the newspaper in the same article quoted area Deputy constabulary commander maj. Avelino Edra Lin. As saying the report was merely a Rumor spread by Marcos loyalists. Dec a station sympathetic to Marcos on Sunda also denied that ver. Who fled with Marcos to Hawaii bad arrived secretly in Nocos. In his broadcast Marcos said Aquino Domaika reorganize her Cabinet is total confession hat a administration. Has been Complete failure ext is. About to  Montgomery said the services and most lawmakers favor the new i Bill but the White House office of management and budget docs not. Bomb does t object to the program per be but they want Dod to pay for it All he said. The veterans administration pays for the Basic benefits while additional Benefit such As the army col lege fund come from the services budgets. Bomb wants the Pentagon to shoulder the whole Burden Montgomery said. But whal s the differ ence it s taxpayer Money either  bomb also objects to the increased costs of the new go Bill compared to leap Montgomery said. Bul he said the new go Bill will pay for itself in the Long run. For one thing the Cost of the Vietnam Era it Bill is declining. The fact that service members must Complete their enlistments to qualify for the of Bill benefits adds Lothe Cost savings he said because increased retention Means Tower training costs. Besides what about the More than s3 billion Given in government educational Grants each year he said. The people who get those incur no obligation at All while the military requires at least a two year commit  s wrong with educating Young americans who have served in the military and might otherwise not have a Chance to go to College the whole country benefits from that world lot Friy Kennedy meets Hussein during Mideast tour Amman. Jordan up King Hussein of Jordan held talks saturday with visiting sen Edward Kennedy. D-mass., who is presently touring the Region Amman radio , who arrived from Israel Friday said the talks during the 30-minute meeting were very productive but Here was no comment from the jordanian Side on the nature of the , who had played a major rate in thwarting it Reagan administration $1.9 billion arms package to Jordan said upon arrival head not changed his stance concerning supplying arms to the kingdom. Squatters aim slingshots rocks at danish police Copenhagen Denmark a police and squatters armed with slingshots and rocks clashed after the squad Lycra occupied an abandoned building and burned Down a nearby police station. The 200 to 300 squatters on saturday barricaded a residential Street and occupied a former shoe factory in the Eastern part of the City say ing they wanted to live there and turn it into a youth  police station was burned and the Only officer present escaped. Two people m an Adja cent apartment were  stormed the factory building and arrested 17 activists. Sell off of British Gas staggering Success London up the government said sat urday that 5 million people bought shares in British Gas giving the newly privatized company More shareholders than Uny other concern in the Transfer of British Gas from the politicians to the people has been a staggering too Ceis said Energy Secretary Pete Walker in speech in the town of West brow Khz. Where Ali Tsmenis of Stock letters woe being mailed to successful Bidden in the float. On Friday the government amid the Seu of brought in 17.6 Biuko for government coffers. Two percent of the total was spent for promo Tion and underwriting Cotts. Walker said British Oas now has More shareholders ban any company in the world. Five million people now have a ale in Hisco funny. A Market Ica Carch Survey Ufa us week indicate that 2,203,000 starow Denin British on have become Shalbot Denton the first time