[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 172 (Thursday, November 10, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7369-S7370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. WYDEN:
  S. 1839. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for 
the retention of members of the reserve components on active duty for a 
period of 45 days following an extended deployment in contingency 
operations or homeland defense missions to support their reintegration 
into civilian life, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Armed 
Services.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, never in our Nation's history has the 
American military relied more on National Guard and Reserve 
servicemembers than it has in the last 10 years.
  More than 800,000 members of the National Guard and Reserves have 
been called to active duty service since 9/11, many of them serving 
two, three, and four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan
  Our military does an exceptional job of preparing these guardsmen and 
reservists for combat, but we do far too little to prepare them for 
transition back to civilian life.
  Our guardsmen need a transition from the trauma of combat to the 
serenity of home in Oregon and throughout our Nation. But instead our 
guardsmen and reservists are sent back to their community with little 
or no time to readjust. In a matter of a few days these guardsmen go 
from holding a gun in the chaos of a combat zone to holding their 
children in the serenity of their own home. That has to be a difficult 
transition.
  Unlike most active-duty troops who receive a soft landing through a 
number of carefully monitored reintegration programs and other support 
services provided on an active-duty base, returning guardsmen lack the 
support system of a large base.
  While active-duty soldiers come home to military bases and the jobs 
and support systems that they provide, returning Guard members are in 
many instances left to face the increasingly stark reality of 
transitioning to civilian life on their own.
  The amount of personal and professional requirements placed on 
guardsmen and reservists pre- and post-deployment are mind boggling. 
What they need more than anything is time to wind down and tend to 
their lives.
  Even under the best of circumstances, the road back from war is 
difficult and extremely stressful. Men and women who have served in 
harm's way experience higher rates of divorce and suicide.
  Many battle the debilitating effects and stigma associated with Post 
Traumatic Stress Disorder. In the current struggling economy, nearly 
half of the guard members and reservists have no job to return to. Some 
find that the jobs and careers they put on hold to serve their country 
simply no longer exist.
  To compound an unacceptable unemployment problem, Guard members and 
reservists are immediately taken off the military payroll once they get 
home.
  Imagine that reality for a second. You left your home, your family 
and your job to serve your country in harm's way for 10 months, only to 
be welcomed back with no job and no

[[Page S7370]]

source of income to pay for your home or support your family.
  If they do have a job waiting for them, to keep a steady income, 
Guardsmen must jump right back into the high stress of relearning their 
civilian job without a chance to decompress or readjust from the stress 
of combat.
  That is what my bill would help fix.
  The National Guard and Reserve Soft Landing Reintegration Act would 
allow returning guardsmen and reservists to take up to 45 days to 
decompress, reintegrate, and get their lives in order, while still 
being paid.
  I started this program because I think that citizen-soldiers are one 
of the strengths of this nation. They and their families should be 
acknowledged for the level of sacrifices that they are making.
  Addressing the post deployment-related needs of returning guardsmen 
is not only the moral thing to do; it is also strategically wise for 
our nation.
  This is part of the promise our nation made to take care of our 
troops. They did their best of us. We should do our best for them.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1839

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``National Guard and Reserve 
     Soft Landing Reintegration Act''.

     SEC. 2. TEMPORARY RETENTION ON ACTIVE DUTY AFTER 
                   DEMOBILIZATION OF RESERVES FOLLOWING EXTENDED 
                   DEPLOYMENTS IN CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS OR 
                   HOMELAND DEFENSE MISSIONS.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 1209 of title 10, United States 
     Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
     section:

     ``Sec. 12323. Reserves: temporary retention on active duty 
       after demobilization following extended deployments in 
       contingency operations or homeland defense missions

       ``(a) In General.--Subject to subsection (d), a member of a 
     reserve component of the armed forces described in subsection 
     (b) shall be retained on active duty in the armed forces for 
     a period of 45 days following the conclusion of the member's 
     demobilization from a deployment as described in that 
     subsection, and shall be authorized the use of any accrued 
     leave.
       ``(b) Covered Members.--A member of a reserve component of 
     the armed forces described in this subsection is any member 
     of a reserve component of the armed forces who was deployed 
     for more than 269 days under the following:
       ``(1) A contingency operation.
       ``(2) A homeland defense mission (as specified by the 
     Secretary of Defense for purposes of this section).
       ``(c) Pay and Allowances.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, while a member is retained on active duty 
     under subsection (a), the member shall receive--
       ``(1) the basic pay payable to a member of the armed forces 
     under section 204 of title 37 in the same pay grade as the 
     member;
       ``(2) the basic allowance for subsistence payable under 
     section 402 of title 37; and
       ``(3) the basic allowance for housing payable under section 
     403 of title 37 for a member in the same pay grade, 
     geographic location, and number of dependents as the member.
       ``(d) Early Release From Active Duty.--(1) Subject to 
     paragraph (2), at the written request of a member retained on 
     active duty under subsection (a), the member shall be 
     released from active duty not later than the end of the 14-
     day period commencing on the date the request was received. 
     If such 14-day period would end after the end of the 45-day 
     period specified in subsection (a), the member shall be 
     released from active duty not later than the end of such 45-
     day period.
       ``(2) The request of a member for early release from active 
     duty under paragraph (1) may be denied only for medical or 
     personal safety reasons. The denial of the request shall 
     require the affirmative action of an officer in a grade above 
     O-5 who is in the chain of command of the member. If the 
     request is not denied before the end of the 14-day period 
     applicable under paragraph (1), the request shall be deemed 
     to be approved, and the member shall be released from active 
     duty as requested.
       ``(e) Treatment of Active Duty Under Policy on Limitation 
     of Period of Mobilization.--The active duty of a member under 
     this section shall not be included in the period of 
     mobilization of units or individuals under section 12302 of 
     this title under any policy of the Department of Defense 
     limiting the period of mobilization of units or individuals 
     to a specified period, including the policy to limit such 
     period of mobilization to 12 months as described in the 
     memorandum of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel 
     and Readiness entitled `Revised Mobilization/Demobilization 
     Personnel and Pay Policy for Reserve Component Members 
     Ordered to Active Duty in Response to the World Trade Center 
     and Pentagon Attacks-Section 1,' effective January 19, 2007.
       ``(f) Reintegration Counseling and Services.--(1) The 
     Secretary of the military department concerned may provide 
     each member retained on active duty under subsection (a), 
     while the member is so retained on active duty, counseling 
     and services to assist the member in reintegrating into 
     civilian life.
       ``(2) The counseling and services provided members under 
     this subsection may include the following:
       ``(A) Physical and mental health evaluations.
       ``(B) Employment counseling and assistance.
       ``(C) Marriage and family counseling and assistance.
       ``(D) Financial management counseling.
       ``(E) Education counseling.
       ``(F) Counseling and assistance on benefits available to 
     the member through the Department of Defense and the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs.
       ``(3) The Secretary of the military department concerned 
     shall provide, to the extent practicable, for the 
     participation of appropriate family members of members 
     retained on active duty under subsection (a) in the 
     counseling and services provided such members under this 
     subsection.
       ``(4) The counseling and services provided to members under 
     this subsection shall, to the extent practicable, be provided 
     at National Guard armories and similar facilities close the 
     residences of such members.
       ``(5) Counseling and services provided a member under this 
     subsection shall, to the extent practicable, be provided in 
     coordination with the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program of 
     the State concerned under section 582 of the National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (10 U.S.C. 10101 
     note).''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 1209 of such title is amended by adding 
     at the end the following new item:

``12323. Reserves: temporary retention on active duty after 
              demobilization following extended deployments in 
              contingency operations or homeland defense missions.''.
                                 ______