WASHINGTON — Rep. Jim Matheson, R-Utah, says members of the National Guard and military reserve units who serve lengthy stints in Afghanistan and Iraq should enjoy the same education benefits as members of regular military units.

So he introduced a bill this past week, called the Resuming Education After Defensive Service (READS) Act, to make anyone eligible for Montgomery GI bill benefits who serves at least two years of cumulative active duty over a period of five continuous years.

He said Utah soldiers returning from the Middle East told him about the current hole in the law that prevented them from receiving benefits.

"I learned from members of Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, Marine Corps Reservists, that even though they served 24 months on active duty, they were ineligible for the GI benefits. The reason was — while they served the required 24 months on active duty — their service was not consecutive," Matheson said.

"That didn't seem fair, given the sacrifices many of them had made to do their duty," he said.

The Montgomery GI bill was initially passed to help soldiers returning from World War II defray the cost of education and training.

Matheson's bill would apply to reservists and Guard members activated between Sept. 11, 2001, and the end of 2006 to accommodate those who are serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Officials estimate 4,500 Marine reservists would be helped by the change.

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