Education and Careers

The OIF generation has used its education benefits to build careers in nearly every field.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill

The Post-9/11 GI Bill, enacted in 2008, provides education benefits, including tuition, a housing allowance, and books, for eligible veterans who served after September 10, 2001. It can be used for undergraduate and graduate degrees, vocational training, and more.

Yellow Ribbon

Participating private and out-of-state schools can cover costs above the GI Bill cap through the Yellow Ribbon Program, with the VA matching the school's contribution.

Federal careers

Veterans receive preference in most federal hiring. The Foreign Service applies its own form of preference on its hiring register. See Diplomacy.

Fields where OIF veterans are well represented

• Public service and government, from city councils to Congress.
• Law enforcement and security.
• Aviation and aerospace, where military technical experience transfers directly.
• Diplomacy and international affairs, where deployment experience of the Middle East is valuable.
• Health care, especially among former medics and corpsmen.
• Education, as teachers and administrators.