Education services affected at WPAFB

WPAFB, Ohio (WDTN) - The Air Force has been trying to keep up with all the questions that come from pulling the plug on tuition assistance.

Education benefits do attract people to the Air Force and other branches of the military, so when the Department of Defense announced airmen would no longer be able to sign up for tuition assistance, it came as a blow.

"This is a major reason people join the military and incentive for reenlistment.  It is a big deal and hopefully it will resume October 1," said Jason Sibrel, Chief of WPAFB Education Services.

Sibrel staffed a table of information on education services at Wright-Patt on Wednesday at an Information Fair.

He told 2 NEWS classes to tell airmen about their options like the 9/11 GI Bill are filling up quickly.

Right now, more than 1,300 airmen are getting tuition assistance to give you some idea of the interest out there.

To take on some of the tough questions, a YouTube video is circulating with Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Cody taking questions.

"My question is how will TA affect retention and recruitment going into 2014?   Chief Cody: I think it's going to affect it a little bit now, because people get nervous when they see us make decisions about benefits."

2 NEWS asked Senator Sherrod Brown about his take on tuition assistance being dropped.

"We made a promise, the DOD made a promise, you stick with the promises you made, quality of life and opportunity later during military service and later are obviously what our national security is about and I'm hoping we can fix it," said Brown.