Comment on Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals: Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) Election Request; 0703; 2010-16786; Unknown Submitter

The proposal for a public comment response time of 60 days for the solicitation of comments needed to determine dependents beginning start date of Veterans Administration (VA) educational benefits does not make sense to me. I have been on active duty with the United States Air Force for more than 23 years now and have always kept my Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) up to date to ensure prompt action for my wife and children in the event of something happening to me on or off duty. This system was put in place to ensure all dependents eligibility was at the finger tips of the respective service, along with the VA. If the administration does not utilize a system that is in place and completely functional; then it not only slows down the process but also shows the redundancy issues that the VA has been plagued with in years past. If active duty service members are tasked with keeping their DEERS up to date, it does not make sense to me for the agency involved to use the information. Active duty service members are deployed overseas at a moment’s notice and we do not always have the time to ensure everything is updated prior to our departure. That is why systems are in place for us to have 24/7 access to systems allowing us to ensure data is updated and correct in case of an emergency. Our educational benefits are not only important to us as service members, but more importantly they are for the dependents, which have made endless sacrifices; we leave behind year after year. Access to our VA benefits sometimes me the difference between being taken care and not being able to afford certain entitlements that are deserved for the sacrifices made. I see no reason for the VA to extend the wait time for educational benefits eligibility no more than necessary and feel in the year 2010 this process should be stream lined to grant much needed access for those who count on it the most.