[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.''.
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