Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Staff report
COLUMBUS
Veterans Service Commissions in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties and other agencies are gearing up to help qualified veterans apply for the Ohio Veterans Bonus Program launched Tuesday.
The maximum benefit under the program is $1,500.
The program is funded through state Issue 1, a constitutional amendment permitting the state to sell $200 million worth of bonds to provide a special payment from the Ohio Honors Veterans Fund to service personnel.
An estimated 200,000 Ohio residents are eligible for the bonus, said Gov. Ted Strickland in announcing the program.
To apply for the bonus, applicants should go to www.veteransbonus.ohio.gov and complete the online application. Ohio’s public libraries and county Veterans Service Offices are prepared to assist with the online application if applicants do not have Internet access, said Bill Hartnett, Ohio Department of Veterans Services director.
To be eligible for a bonus, veterans must have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions or remain on active duty or, after active duty, remain in any reserve component of the armed forces including the Ohio National Guard.
They must be Ohio residents now and must have been Ohio residents when they were called to active duty, and they have to prove where and when they served, Hartnett added.
Eligible veterans may receive $100 for each month of active-duty service, up to a maximum of $1,000, in the following locations during these specified dates:
Persian Gulf between Aug. 2, 1990, and March 3, 1991, the date when Iraq a ccepted the conditions for a permanent cease fire. Eligible veterans can apply for a bonus until Dec. 31, 2013.
Afghanistan since Oct. 7, 2001. Eligible veterans can apply for a bonus for up to three years after the president declares an end to U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.
Iraq since March 19, 2003. Eligible veterans can apply for a bonus for up to three years after the president declares an end to U.S. involvement in Iraq.
Also, eligible veterans serving on active duty, except active duty for training, anywhere else in the world during the specified dates, may receive $50 a month up to a maximum bonus of $500. They may combine their service bonuses for a maximum payment of $1,500.