BRUNSWICK

College was the last thing on Christopher Kotch’s mind when an improvised explosive device blew up his Humvee in Ramadi, Iraq. It wasn’t until he came home recovering from his injuries that he realized a loophole had allowed the government to deny him a large chunk of his GI Bill benefits.

“We had thin-skinned Humvees — didn’t have the deflective plate, bullet-proof enclosed turrets or anything like that. I was exposed from the waist up and I was injured by an IED blast, taking shrapnel through my left shoulder and left carotid artery,” Kotch, of Brunswick, said.

Kotch was medevaced from the scene where he had to be revived twice in the helicopter. It took three days to stabilize him enough for transport out of Iraq to Walter Reed Hospital.

Kotch was an Army reservist, activated in 2003 and sent in-country. Following his injuries, he was reassigned from active duty back to reserve status when he was medically retired for his injuries sustained on active duty.

It was because he was retired as a reservist and not an active serviceman that Kotch’s GI Bill benefits were assessed at 60 percent instead of the full 100 percent he would have received on active duty.

Kotch went back to school, majoring in history at the University of Southern Maine in 2010, thinking he would receive the full GI Bill benefits he paid into. Upon being told his benefits had been reduced, Kotch found himself having to take out student loans.

At the time, Kotch wasn’t working. He was married with one son and another on the way and now the loans were piling up for tuition, books and daily needs.

Kotch has since reached out to Rep. Chellie Pingree’s office. Through Pingree’s staff, Kotch has found out he’s not alone. He said the numbers aren’t staggering, but others have also had their GI Bill benefits cut following active duty injuries.

On Wednesday, Pingree announced that she, along with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, DHI, a twice-deployed combat veteran and co-chairwoman of the Post 9/11 Veterans Caucus, have introduced legislation in an attempt to eliminate the loophole that denies veterans’ benefits.

“Thousands of Guardsmen and Reservists from Maine and across the country have served our country overseas and many were injured,” said Pingree in a press release. “The Post 9/11 GI Bill offers these service-injured veterans a full education benefit. But they are being denied on a technicality. We aren’t living up to our promises to these veterans and the law needs to be fixed.”

Pingree’s bill would change the language of current policy, offering medically separated or medically retired veterans full benefits. The legislation would be retroactive to the enactment of the Post 9/11 GI Bill in 2009.

Kotch is working now and still in school — this time at the University of New England for his master’s in social work so he can go back and help his fellow veterans.

“I want to become a clinical social worker, working with veterans with trauma — with combat trauma and military sexual trauma,” Kotch said.

However, not having the full GI Bill benefits hasn’t just been an added stress for Kotch. His family continues to endure debt as well.

“Nobody should ever have to, especially after serving their country and being injured in the line of duty. It should be the last thing on their minds when they’re trying to get an education and better themselves,” Kotch said.

dmcintire@timesrecord.com