The GI Bill® has long been a cornerstone of military benefits, offering Veterans and Servicemembers a path to educational and career advancement. While many associate the GI Bill® with traditional college degrees, its scope has significantly widened to include an array of vocational and technical training programs catering to the evolving career landscapes of today’s workforce. One such opportunity is coding bootcamps, like Code Platoon, which are designed to equip participants with in-demand tech skills in a condensed timeframe.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill, with its broad coverage, includes non-degree programs at technical schools. Eligibility is straightforward: service after September 10, 2001, for at least 90 days, receiving a Purple Heart, or an honorable discharge with a service-connected disability after at least 30 days of continuous service. The Forever GI Bill enhancements mean no expiration for benefits for those discharged after January 1, 2013.

This GI Bill covers tuition and fees based on service length, directly paying the school. It also provides a monthly housing allowance (MHA) based on the school’s zip code and the student’s enrollment status.

FAQs: Your GI Bill Benefits for Bootcamps

Can the GI Bill be used for coding bootcamps?

Yes, the GI Bill can be used for coding bootcamps approved by the VA. It’s essential to verify that the bootcamp you’re interested in is eligible for GI Bill funding.

Is a coding bootcamp beneficial for Veterans?

Absolutely. For Veterans aiming to transition into the tech sector, coding bootcamps offer a streamlined, focused path to acquiring the necessary skills without the time commitment of a traditional degree program.

How do I choose the right bootcamp?

Consider VA-approved VET TEC training providers and those offering scholarships or money-back guarantees for job placement. Research, reach out to bootcamps directly, and connect with fellow Veterans who have taken this path to gather insights and make an informed decision.

Can I use the GI Bill at Code Platoon?

Code Platoon’s in-person programs are open to Veterans eligible for GI Bill benefits. In-person students can have tuition fully or partially covered, alongside receiving a stipend for a housing allowance equivalent to an E-5 with dependents BAH.

The GI Bill has evolved from a measure to support post-war education to a flexible tool for career transformation. For Veterans eyeing the tech industry, programs like Code Platoon represent a golden opportunity to leverage their GI Bill benefits toward a dynamic and fulfilling new career path.

Jim Hennessey is Code Platoon’s Director of Marketing. Jim brings a strong background in nonprofit marketing and start-up enterprises to the mission of Code Platoon. Jim is a graduate of Clemson University and currently lives in Chicago. Follow Jim on LinkedIn.

Are you a US military member preparing to transition out of the service and wondering about your next career move? Look no further than the DoD SkillBridge program—a valuable program designed to assist Servicemembers in gaining civilian work experience before they separate from the military.

What is SkillBridge?

SkillBridge—also known as the Career Skills Program (CSP) in the Army—is an innovative program that allows eligible military members who are within their last 180 days of service to participate in civilian job training, internships, and apprenticeships during their last 180 days of service. This program provides a unique opportunity for transitioning Servicemembers to gain valuable skills and experience in a civilian workplace, helping them seamlessly transition into the workforce.

How Does SkillBridge Work?

Servicemembers can explore a wide range of approved SkillBridge programs offered by participating companies and organizations. Once a suitable opportunity is identified, Servicemembers can apply and, upon acceptance, begin their training or apprenticeship during their final 180 days of service.

Benefits of SkillBridge for Transitioning Servicemembers

• Hands-On Experience: SkillBridge provides hands-on experience in a civilian work environment, allowing Servicemembers to apply their military skills to real-world scenarios.
• Industry Connections: By participating in SkillBridge or the Career Skills Program, military members have the opportunity to network with professionals in their desired industry, potentially leading to job offers post-service.
• Smooth Transition: SkillBridge helps ease the transition from military to civilian life by providing practical work experience and in-demand skills for the job market.
• Career Exploration: SkillBridge allows Servicemembers to explore different career paths and industries, helping them make informed decisions about their post-military career goals.
• Resume Building: Completing a SkillBridge program adds value to a Servicemember’s resume, demonstrating their commitment to professional development and readiness for civilian employment.
• Financial Support: In addition to gaining valuable experience and skills, Servicemembers will continue to receive military stipends and benefits while participating in SkillBridge or the Career Skills Program.

SkillBridge and the Career Skills Program are fantastic resources for US military members preparing to transition out of the service. By participating in these programs, Servicemembers can gain valuable experience, build connections, and enhance their employability in the civilian workforce. Take advantage of SkillBridge today and pave the way for a successful transition into your next career!

Greg Drobny is a former Airborne Infantryman, PSYOP Team Chief, political consultant, professional military blogger, and Code Platoon’s Student Outreach and Recruitment Manager. He holds a BA and MA in history and an MS in organizational psychology. He is married with four children who keep him more than slightly busy, and he is passionate about helping Veterans find their paths in life and develop the skills needed to pursue their goals.

Navigating the professional landscape can be challenging for military spouses, whose career paths often need to be adaptable to the demands and unpredictability of military life. Software engineering and development offer an ideal solution, providing the kind of flexibility and resilience that aligns perfectly with the unique needs of military spouses seeking a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Military spouses often find themselves in a constant cycle of job hunting and career readjustment, trying to find meaningful employment that can accommodate their transient lifestyle. The traditional 9-to-5 job can be impractical, with moves every few years limiting long-term career development in any location. Moreover, employers may hesitate to hire military spouses, fearing their tenure will be short-lived. These factors contribute to higher unemployment rates among military spouses than their civilian counterparts.

Why Software Engineering?

The tech industry is known for growth, a high demand for skilled professionals, and flexibility. Software engineering, in particular, offers the possibility of remote work, adaptable schedules, and a culture of inclusivity and continuous learning. These attributes are not just desirable but necessary for military spouses who need careers that can move with them and grow as they do.

Code Platoon specializes in transforming Veterans and military spouses into highly skilled software engineers. Our program is designed to teach the full web development stack, including Python, Django, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Importantly, no previous programming skills are required to start this journey. Code Platoon also provides flexible learning options like remote /virtual, full-time, and evening and weekend programs. 

Proven Success

The effectiveness of Code Platoon’s approach is clear in our outcomes. In the last two years, 74% of our graduates have found software engineering positions within six months of completing the program. The impact on their financial well-being is significant, with a median starting salary of $85,000. This figure rises to an impressive median salary of $115,000 within 24 months.

A Path Forward

For military spouses, Code Platoon represents more than just an educational opportunity; it’s a pathway to a rewarding career that accommodates the realities of military life. Code Platoon provides remote learning options designed to accommodate the demands and challenges of life as a military spouse. Code Platoon also offers a range of full and partial scholarships for military spouses. More than 90% of military spouses received financial support last year alone.

“A major benefit of attending Code Platoon was the financial assistance. As a spouse, I wasn’t eligible for the GI Bill or VET TEC. Still, I received a full military spouse scholarship, making it possible for me to pursue a career in Software Engineering without worrying about the financial burden of paying for tuition, “ said Lily Yang, Army spouse and Sierra Platoon grad.

“Being a military spouse has shaped me with adaptability and resilience. As a spouse, I had five jobs in five different industries. I think spouses excel at project management and quick turnarounds. We’re flexible and resilient,” said Hui Zhao, who graduated from Code Platoon’s Evening and Weekend program.

The journey of a military spouse is one of resilience and adaptability. Code Platoon recognizes and honors this journey by providing a practical, supportive route to a career in software engineering. If you’re a military spouse seeking a rewarding career that matches your lifestyle, consider the transformative power of Code Platoon. 

Jim Hennessey is Code Platoon’s Director of Marketing. Jim brings a strong background in nonprofit marketing and start-up enterprises to the mission of Code Platoon. Jim is a graduate of Clemson University and currently lives in Chicago. Follow Jim on LinkedIn.

Veteran Officer Chris “Dizz” Dzikowski spent his service supporting Air Force personnel. When he left the military because of a family emergency, Dizz traded working in the clouds for deploying Cloud-based software as a civilian DevOps Engineer. His transition showcases how military skills combine with software expertise, helping him and other Veterans master DevOps and Cloud Engineering at Code Platoon and beyond.

The former Air Battle Manager’s journey began when he enlisted in the Air Force in 2007 to enter computer networking. Dizz was only in IT Systems Operations for about a year, but it introduced him to his DevOps career.

“Many DevOps fundamentals still resemble their Systems Operations roots: ensuring technical systems perform optimally. DevOps is just implemented with Cloud computing,” Dizz says. “When I first got into tech, the Cloud didn’t exist, so the systems I used to work with were all tied to physical servers in different locations. Now, the Cloud connects a global network of these servers, so the resources I need are available on demand 24/7. It’s a paradigm shift.

The best way to understand DevOps is by breaking down the word itself. ‘Dev’ stands for developers, the people who create software applications, while ‘Ops’ refers to operations, which includes managing the application’s network, storage, and maintenance. By combining these roles, ‘DevOps’ enables professionals like me to rapidly iterate and automate essential deployment operations, ensuring smooth and predictable software deployments.

Dizz left his IT AFSC behind for more responsibility as an Air Force Officer. He developed problem-solving and risk-management skills essential to both his Officer role and future DevOps career, but his thirst for tech challenges remained unquenched.

A turning point would arrive from an unlikely source:

“I read a book about a car parts manufacturer using DevOps philosophy to turn the company around,” Dizz says. “It was fiction, but DevOps Engineering and its applications resonated with me. It reminded me of what I loved about tech.”

The novel couldn’t have come at a better time. After fourteen years in the Air Force, Dizz was sent back down the technology path by family and, later, international emergencies.

When family needs back home in Chicago arose, Dizz applied to separate from the Air Force before his retirement date. On the positive side, returning to Chicago would allow him to apply tor Code Platoon’s In-person Software Engineering Bootcamp via the DoD SkillBridge program for transitioning Servicemembers. Unfortunately, the rising conflict in Ukraine revoked Dizz’s SkillBridge plans, but he uncovered an even better option: Code Platoon’s first DevOps and Cloud Engineering Bootcamp.

“It was an easy choice. Code Platoon had the only DevOps training program I found. It was designed for the military community, the program included essential AWS certifications in the Cloud Engineering curriculum, and my tuition was completely paid for by a Veteran scholarship.”

Dizz worked hard during Bootcamp and gained hands-on experience from real projects deploying web applications. After graduating, he was selected as a DevOps Engineering apprentice with corporate partner Geneva Trading, where he immediately dove in.

“I started participating meaningfully in my team’s projects on my first morning. I began making changes to our software after only one week. I still use Bash scripting on Linux, AWS deployment, and Ansible configuration management daily. Code Platoon perfectly prepared me to be a DevOps Engineer,” he says.

Every day on the job is different, but Dizz’s favorite part is problem-solving. He loves learning how to apply his toolset to the processes the DevOps Engineering team already has in place.

“Last week, I needed to containerize and deploy a Java executable. Even though I hadn’t used Java much, I learned how to apply my DevOps skills from Code Platoon to the new tools I was given and deployed the product.”

Another benefit to Dizz’s apprenticeship has been experiencing the fast-paced, high-impact environment of technology at Geneva Trading and learning from his new colleagues.

“One of my major concerns transitioning out of the military was the potential lack of purpose in the civilian world, but my apprenticeship at Geneva Trading has been dynamic and purposeful. Geneva is in growth mode, which means that operations are swift. I contribute significantly every single day,” Dizz says. “I work with great people. The snacks in the breakroom are great too!”

“I’ve learned Veterans make excellent DevOps Engineers because we’re unphased by change. DevOps moves fast as technology advances, but change is the way of life for us. Leaving the military mid-career was a little scary, but I’m glad I made the career shift. If I had to go back, I’d definitely embrace this opportunity again.”

Kayla Elkin is the Marketing Content Specialist at Code Platoon. In this role, she uses her marketing, writing, and editing skills developed from previous higher education and educational technology positions. Kayla has degrees in English and Sociology from Clemson University and completed the Study in India Program (SIP) at the University of Hyderabad.

The Veteran and military spouse members of Victor Platoon recently completed their Coding Bootcamp and presented their final coding projects during graduation. These final projects showcase the software engineering skills of the Veterans and military spouses who graduated from the 15-week Full-stack Software Engineering: Immersive program. Check out their web applications below.

Sacred Scrolls 

Developed by an Air Force Spouse, two Army Veterans, and a Marine Corps Reservist, Sacred Scrolls reflects the team’s desire to create connections through diverse religious perspectives. The app helps users compare verses from different religious texts. Users can save favorite verses, create journal entries, and search for keywords across the Bible, Quran, and Bhagavad Gita. 

The Bible and Quran verses come from a third-party API, while the Bhagavad Gita is pulled from a GitHub repository, adapted using a Python script, and added to the team’s PostgreSQL database. Check out their presentation.

Dino Stocks

Dino Stocks blends education and entertainment by teaching children the basics of stock trading with a dinosaur theme. Users can buy and sell dino stocks, manage portfolios, and track hourly changes in their dino stock shares.

The Dino Stocks team–two Air Force Servicemembers, a Navy Servicemember, and an Air Force Veteran–used React JavaScript library on the front end and a Python-based Django Framework on the back end. They also used Celery to update the dino stock prices and users’ portfolios stored in the PostgreSQL database every hour from a third-party API.

CragMentor

CragMentor guides rock climbers to new heights. The app’s algorithm generates a personalized training “pyramid” based on the user’s climbing goals. The pyramid uses a weighted score system to suggest increasingly difficult training climbs in the user’s area until the user reaches their goal. All these climbs appear on a Places API-powered map in CragMentor.

Developed by a Navy Veteran, an active duty Marine Corpsman, two Army Veterans, and an active duty Soldier, CragMentor utilizes Bootstrap React UI, React Icons, and an AWS EC2 instance for deployment.

Poke Clone

Poke Clone users can relive classic Pokemon adventures created with React and Django by an Army Veteran, active duty Soldier, and active duty Airman. 

Players can battle and capture wild Pokemon with attacks determined by a random number generator. After battles, the app saves levels, experience, skills, and health to the PostgreSQL database, storing every user’s Pokemon data. Transport yourself back to the era of Pokemon Red and Blue with the Poke Clone presentation.

If you like what you saw, visit our YouTube channel to see more student projects, access recorded lectures, and watch our Intro to Coding videos for aspiring software developers. Congratulations to the Victor Platoon graduates for their outstanding final projects!