Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul is applauding a decision by a regional office of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to recognize that Lt. Col. (Ret.) Paul Yoon, a decorated Army veteran who served for nearly 24 years, is entitled to receive full education benefits under both the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills. The decision came after Raoul joined two bipartisan coalitions to support Yoon and his daughter. 

“This dedicated and decorated veteran honorably served his country for more than 20 years and deserves to be recognized for the numerous sacrifices he and his family have made,” Raoul said. “I appreciate the Department of Veterans Affairs granting him the education benefits he earned. I will continue to stand with my fellow attorneys general in protecting the hard-earned rights of the veterans who have committed their lives to their military service.”  

In April 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court held that veterans who qualify under both the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills are entitled to a combined 48 months of education benefits.

But the VA adopted a narrow view of that decision and continued to deny many veterans and their family members, including Yoon and his daughter, the full benefits to which they are entitled. In March 2025 and then June 2025, Raoul joined a coalition of 51 attorneys general in filing amicus briefs before the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit arguing in support of Yoon and other veterans whose lengthy service qualifies them to receive benefits under both GI Bills. 

Last month, the VA agreed in principle to provide Yoon the full education benefits he is owed under both GI Bills.  

Attorney General Raoul encourages any eligible service member or veteran experiencing this issue to call his office’s Military and Veterans’ Rights Helpline at 800-382-3000 for assistance.   

Raoul’s Military and Veterans Rights Bureau also offers in-person or virtual presentations on service member employment rights, military veterans’ assistance, as well as fraud and scams that target veterans and their benefits. Information about future training opportunities can be obtained by emailing mvrb@ilag.gov.  

Joining Raoul in the briefs were the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.