Andrew Ogle, junior in kinesiology at Iowa State, was three weeks into boot camp when he received a letter saying he was to be deployed to Iraq for 18 months.

Once there, information was leaked to his family and they found out his stay was being extended before he did. Then Ogle found out he wasn’t going to receive the benefits he was promised when he enlisted.

Ogle is fighting to get his G.I. Bill benefits from the military, but he isn’t the only one. All soldiers of the 1-133rd Battalion are joining together in a group effort to petition the U.S. government in order to receive Chapter 30 G.I. benefits, which would cover everything from their G.I. Bills to medical benefits they deserve for serving 725 days in Iraq.

“Submitting them as a unit makes a stronger statement,” Ogle said. “I enlisted in the Guard to get the benefits to pay for school.”

The G.I. Bill is a program that helps enlisted personnel pay for their higher education, but the catch is the enlistment has to be on active duty for two years. It’s simple for most of the military to meet the requirement, but the National Guard is not considered continuous active duty. That is, until the 1-133rd Battalion was deployed to Iraq in 2005. Serving a term of originally 608 days, the battalion was then bumped to 725 days in country. That is five days short of two years.

In an official letter from the Veteran’s Administration, Ogle was told, “We reviewed your application and service records. We regret that we can’t approve your claim for benefits under the Montgomery G.I. Bill . based on what our records show, you don’t meet the eligibility requirements.”

The letter went on to say Ogle was in the Army just over 15 months. “Our records show that you [Ogle] served on active duty in the military as follows: Army, May 10, 2005 to August 26, 2006.”

Up until about two weeks ago, the VA didn’t even have a record of Ogle serving in Iraq. Ogle said he didn’t forego his tuition benefits, nor did he sign off on his military pay and medical benefits.

“I got a $3,000 bill from here [Iowa State],” Ogle said. “That’s how I knew something was wrong.”

Ogle did say that, since his television interview with KCCI, there has been positive response to his dilemma. The VA has recognized his service in Iraq, and he has started to receive money to help support himself while in school.

A final letter from the VA stated, “a review of your education records reveals you may have been erroneously denied Chapter 30 benefits.”

The ISU financial aid office has been crucial in helping get his benefits, Ogle said.

“This is so much bigger than just a college kid wanting his money for school,” Ogle said. “This is about getting the money and benefits that all the soldiers and their families deserve.”

Ogle wore a black engraved bracelet with the names of two of his fellow soldiers who were killed by gunfire in Iraq 10 months before they were to return home, both of whom had ties to Iowa State.

“This is for their families too,” Ogle said. “They [the families of the deceased soldiers] are not getting their benefits, either.”

The 1-133rd received honors while serving in Iraq. The entire battalion is part of the 1-134th Brigade, which is the longest serving unit in Iraq. The 1-133rd received the prestigious Combat Infantryman’s Ribbon. The ribbon is given to companies, in which 60 percent of their company have seen action while in the country, with 60 percent or more receiving the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. Ogle commented, in one day, they captured and arrested 60 insurgents with six receiving a death sentence.