I was recently called back to the Army out of the IRR and sent to Baghdad. The company I was working for is transferring me to FL when I return back to the states(May 2010). Right before I deployed I noticed my truck(95' Crew Cab, F-350, 4x4, PSD) started to shake at idle and a small loss of power(I think due to needing an oil change). I noticed a small fuel leak and oil leak. The steering column bearings busted causing the steering wheel to move in all directions and bind up while turning. After taking a turn, and slightly jerking the steering wheel the opposite way, the steering seems to shift(Tie rod ends? Ball joints? Outer wheel bearings?) talk about luck....

Anyways I am looking for some info on rebuilding the front end. I will have about 4 weeks to fix all these issues before moving to FL.

 

Well I ended up having to replace the whole steering column. Seems the busted bearings was causing the wheel to lay against wires and eat them up also. Good thing I didnt have an electrical fire due to the bare wires. Fuel leak was fixed by outstanding information I got from a post. Changed the oil with Rotella and it seemed to fix the shaking. Thanks for all the help, replies and posts Ford Truck Enthusiast..........

 

Glad to hear you are back up! Thanks for the tour in the sandbox! Remember, you don't have to be broke to hang out. I hope your transition is a smooth one. Again thanks for your service!!!

 

Thanks man. I am sure the transition will be easy. This is my 4th tour. I will hang out more. Things will be smoother now and I should have alot of downtime going to college. Do you know about the post 9/11 gi bill? It is worth it! So much more than the Montgomery gi bill.

 

4th tour! HOAH! I am trying to figure out if you are active duty or Reserves/Gaurd. I think some differences between the two are:
Regular GI BILL, You get NO locality pay (BAH) but it is transferable if on active duty or "full time ARMY".
POST 9-11: You get BAH but it is not transferable. BUT, I think it may transferable only when activated, I THINK.

At the end of the weighing the two I believe you will find that the Regualr bill is geared for active duty "full time" soldiers and POST 9-11 is geared for Reserve/Gaurd.
Here is a link that may answer some of your questions Benefit Comparison Chart- U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs

If you are on active duty you may ask someone in your S3 shop or maybe you battalion career counselor. One of those two will get you in touch with some one on post that will talk to you about it.
If you are Reserve/Gaurd you may find some one in your unit that has chosen a path at this fork and could possibly help you answer some questions. Or stick with the above link. I have found that the VA will talk to you over the phone in a timely manner w/no hassles, give them a shout. (remember they work for you).
Hope this helps! Thanks again for the tours! On the command of "Fall Out" carry on with life!
FALL OUT!

 

I was active for 6 years. I got a letter in the mail calling me back to active duty out of the IRR and they stuck me with Nasty Girls out of Oregon. I looked up the stats for both, Montgomery G.I. and the 9/11. Seems to me the 9/11 is the way to go. $13,800 a semester for school plus E5 BAH with dependents.

 

Glad you got it hammered out SGT conn728! see you around!