The Department of Veterans Affairs hoped for a smooth beginning last Friday when it launched its online application for veterans to apply for new and expanded educational benefits granted by Congress. But apparently the new system was slow and frustrating, and not ready for prime time.

Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, told nextgov.com that it took more than four minutes to reach the login screen using a computer with a high-speed cable modem.

"Veterans should not be viewing the hour glass of death" as they try to file for benefits, he said.

Others also reported problems. Joe Mancinik, a Navy veteran, said that once he got on the site, the system timed out. Another user received a "Connection Interrupted" message while the page was loading.

The new law, known as the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, provides more generous educational benefits than the previous GI bill. Perhaps all of the rough spots should have been smoothed out before it launched its online application form.

For more on the VA:
- see this nextgov.com article