Res 1681-2017

By Council Member Ulrich Whereas, For centuries, the United States armed forces have defended the American way of life, from Monmouth to Mosul; and Whereas, The men and women of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard hail from all 50 states and represent the socioeconomic, racial, and religious diversity of our nation; and Whereas, The United States is currently involved in its longest-ever war, in Afghanistan, which also overlapped with eight years of armed conflict in Iraq; and Whereas, According to the Department of Defense, more than 2.5 million men and women served in the two most recent conflicts, and more than 400,000 soldiers have done three or more deployments; and Whereas, Statistics from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) show that 11 percent of veterans of the war in Afghanistan and 20 percent of veterans of the war in Iraq suffer from PTSD; and Whereas, In light of the enormous sacrifices that these individuals make, it is appropriate for cities and states to provide ample educational opportunities for returning service members to gain the skills that they need to find and maintain gainful employment; and Whereas, The GI Bill of 1944 allowed millions of servicemembers to pursue higher education and provide for their families; and Whereas, Both houses of Congress recently re-affirmed this commitment to veteran education, by unanimously passing the "Forever GI Bill," which ends the 15-year limit on educational benefits for new enlistees; and Whereas, VA data shows that New York has the fifth-largest veteran population in the country, with more than 892,000 former servicemembers living in the state; and Whereas, The state senate and state assembly are currently considering legislation (S.3674-A and A.3179-A) that would allow State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York (CUNY) institutions to award educational credits for coursework that veterans completed as part of their military training; and Whereas, This would allow former servicemembers to take additional courses to develop new skills and complete their degrees more quickly; and Whereas, In light of the major contributions that veterans make to American life, and their significant presence within New York City and across New York State, facilitating their pursuit of higher education reflects the admiration, respect, and esteem that New Yorkers have for the men and women of the armed forces; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the state legislature to pass, and the governor to sign, A.3179A/S.3674A, which would allow city or state-operated institutions to grant academic credit to veterans LS#11290 9/28/17 MK