The head of the Veterans Affairs Education Service department will leave his post amid massive technology issues at the VA that have resulted in thousands of veterans receiving inaccurate GI Bill payments this semester, sources confirmed to Military Times Wednesday.

Robert Worley, a retired Air Force general, will become the executive director of the Houston VA Regional Office in January. Though the timing suggests Worley’s reassignment is a result of the GI Bill payment delays, the VA has not confirmed the correlation.

"Rob chose to take this opportunity to lead in a challenging capacity after his years of service at VA central office,” said VA Press Secretary Curt Cashour in an email.

Worley joined three others from the VA to testify before members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee Wednesday on the Forever GI Bill implementation delays, months after the VA was set to deploy a new software system to recalculate how veterans’ housing stipends are calculated under the new Forever GI Bill law. There was no mention of his new post, however.

In remarks after the hearing, Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, chairman of the subcommittee on economic opportunity, said he thought the delays were more a result of IT issues, and he hoped the VA isn’t turning Worley into a scapegoat.

Worley will stay in his current position until January and will then be replaced by Charmain Bogue, deputy director of operations, Cashour said.

Military Times reporter Leo Shane contributed to this story.

Military Times contributor and former reporter Natalie Gross hosts the Spouse Angle podcast. She grew up in a military family and has a master's degree in journalism from Georgetown University.

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