Content Manager posted on January 23, 2008 22:11
Naval Reserve Association presents Senator Chambliss with NRA National Legislative Advocacy Award
US Senator Saxby Chambliss, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Co-Chairman of the Senate Reserve Caucus, and a member of the Senate National Guard Caucus, today was presented with the NRA National Legislative Advocacy Award for legislation he spearheaded in the U. S. Senate to reduce the age at which members of the National Guard and Reserve can receive retirement pay. The legislation passed as an amendment to the FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. While the bill was vetoed by President Bush in December due to an unrelated provision, the bill (including the reserve retirement provision) is expected to pass the Senate this week, and signed be signed by the President shortly thereafter. The House passed their amended version of the FY 08 NDAA last week.
NRA Executive Director, RADM Casey Coane and Director of Legislation, Ike Puzon, presented the Senator the award on behalf of the Association. After the bill’s passage, members of the Guard and Reserve will no longer be the only federal retirees required to wait until age 60 to collect retirement pay.
“Members of our Guard and Reserve are called upon more and more, and they make tremendous sacrifices with respect to their family and civilian employment,” said Chambliss. “If we’re going to continue to call on our citizen soldiers we need to take action to show that we stand behind them and appreciate the tough challenges they face. My bill creates an additional incentive for those who are experiencing repeat deployments, and those that would leave at 20 years, to stay and continue to serve. While we didn’t get everything we wanted in this bill, I believe it is a good first step, and I will continue working to address this issue.” NRA has been at the forefront in bringing about this legislation.
The Chambliss provision will reduce the age for receipt of retirement pay by three months (counting down from age 60) for every 90 days a Guard or Reserve members spends on active duty in support of a contingency operation. The bill will also include time spent on active service for purposes of responding to a national emergency declared by the President or supported by federal funds. NRA was an original sponsor and supported of this legislation that would include all those activated since 9-11-2001, and actively and strongly supported the passage of this legislation.
“The Naval Reserve Association is deeply appreciative of Senator Chambliss’ support for this important piece of legislation. Our Association has long recognized the need to improve retirement for our Reservists in light of the sacrifices that they and their families are making,” RADM Case Coane said. “Together with the support of our membership, other associations, the Senate Reserve Caucus – led by Senator Chambliss, and the Senate National Guard Caucus’ support we can improve this benchmark legislation to include those members that have been activated since 9-11-01 (615,000 members to date),” stated RADM Coane.
L to R: CAPT Puzon, SEN Chambliss, RADM Coane
Additional provisions of the legislation include:
- The maximum reduction would be down to age 50
- Mobilization/deployment to the continental US, would count as well as mobilization/deployment to a ‘contingency zone”
- Volunteers would be covered, as well as those involuntarily activated
- As stated, the original legislation included a provision that would make the bill retroactive to 9-11-01; however the Conference committee did not include this provision in the final version.
The Naval Reserve Association is engaged in the process to improve this legislation, including strong support of H.R. 4930, ‘National Guardsmen and Reservists Parity for Patriots Act.’ We are working closely with the Senate and the House to work out a provision for improving this legislation that at a minimum will include those activated since 9-11-01. We ask that you seek the support of your Representatives and Senators on this issue; www.house.gov, and www.senate.gov.