Pentagon is working on ways to restore education program

TIMES WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department is considering a "whole range" of ideas to save a program that helps military spouses pay for continuing education, a Pentagon official told a congressional committee Wednesday.

"Everything is on the table right now," Defense Undersecretary Clifford L. Stanley said when questioned about plans for the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts, which was suspended briefly when it could not keep up with demand in February.

Mr. Stanley said officials are considering using other Pentagon programs to bolster the career advancement effort, although he told a House Armed Services subcommittee he wasn't prepared to say what the department envisions for a long-term fix.

The program's suspension in February led to an outcry by military families and members of Congress who had not been informed about the budget crunch. The Defense Department restarted the program last weekend for about 136,000 participants.