RESERVE AND GUARD ISSUES
On behalf of over 850,000 Guardsmen and Reservists and over one million retirees, the National Military Veterans Alliance, and the Naval Reserve Association are grateful for the time given to testify before this subcommittee. Changing threats and utilitization of the Guard and Reserves has created an environment, where our Reservists are being called upon more frequently than any time in the past other than war.
Reservists are, more often, being called into service by the CINC’s for longer periods of time per year to defer a "hollowing out" process that could draw down the strength, readiness and flexibility of our combat units. Our Commanders in the field realize that they can no longer get the mission done in the long term without the Guard and Reserve. The Department of Defenses plan for Total Force has emphasized the integration of Regular and Reserve.
In a Total Force Concept, the Guardsman the Reservist to be given the same benefits as the Active Component. Not creating a parity with the total force is creating a second string on our national defense team. Because of optempo and aging equipage, retention and recruiting are problems in the Guard and Reserve today. If you treat these people differently, retaining individuals will become even that much harder.
The issues that follow have been highlighted by Guardsman and Reservists over the past year.
RESTORE TO RESERVISTS
FULL TAX DEDUCTIBILITY
FOR NON-REIMBURSED EXPENSE
Reservists are being asked to train more to enhance their physical readiness and training to support contingency missions. As mission training is the focus during the 16 hour a month drill weekend, administrative duties, communicating with gaining commands, and P.T. are being done on the individuals personal time. Off base expenses are normally born by the reservist.
With the reduction in end strength, many individuals are drilling without pay. They also accept no cost orders in order to do annual training, which maximizes their promotability. Uniforms and devises are still purchased, despite lack of salary.
With military cost reduction, the military reservist and guardsman is paying a greater share of his or her own cost.
The NMVA supports the restoration of full tax deductibility of non-reimbursed expenses. Full deductibility for such training related items such as travel, overnight lodging, meals and uniform is only partial reimbursement for those expenses required of Reservist who subsidize their own training.
AVAILABILITY OF
BACHELOR QUARTERS
Less time is being spent in Reserve Centers and National Guard Armories. Efforts are being made by the Reserve Service Chiefs to get Guardsmen and Reservists to their mobilization sites or gaining commands. These citizen soldiers and sailors are spending more training at actual bases. In some cases, drilling sites have been relocated to active forts or bases.
Under orders assigning a member to drill, Bachelor Quarters are viewed by billeting managers as space available. An individual member can go to a Bachelor Quarters after five in the evening, and if rooms are available, be checked in. If an active duty member on assignment checks in earlier, then the room is given to the active duty member. Most members pay for their own room off base rather than gamble on a room on base.
Bachelor Quarter Managers are concerned that the influx of Reservists on a weekend may overwhelm the availability of quarters for everyone.
The NMVA suggests that if a Guardsman or Reservist drives over 50 miles (one way) to got to drill, than his or her orders to drill should be treated with the same priority as an Active Duty member.
INCREASE MAXIMUM CREDIT
FOR NON-PAY DRILL
A number of reserve commissioned units were reduced from 60 to 48 paid drills a year. Training and administrative requirements still remain the same, the units continue to drill on a sixty drill structure. Additionally, demand for contributory support goes up, and equipment still needs to be routinely maintained. Individuals are putting in between the equivalent of 84 to 120 drill periods a year to meet unit requirements. Drills are considered "inactive training."
In 1996, the number of inactive training points was increased by law from 60 to 75 points. Fifteen points of this total are credited for affiliation in the reserves. At the new ceiling, a reservist gets credit for 60 drill periods. Anything above is personal time.
NMVA feels that too many Reservists are donating personal time to get the mission done. We urge Congress to increase the drill point ceiling to 90 inactive points a year.
SINGLE RATE
BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR HOUSING (BAH)
Currently, Reservists performing active duty tours, for other than declared contingency operations, when billeted in government quarters and who have no dependents, are not entitled to BAH. These individuals still have mortgages or rental obligations. Conversely, Reservists performing comparable active duty tours, with similar billeting, and whose dependents are prevented from occupying those quarters are entitled to BAH.
NMVA believes that Reservists performing any type of active duty, who are billeted in government quarters and who have mortgage or rental obligations, should be entitled to BAH.
THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN
The United States House and Senate passed legislation signed into law by the President, authorizing a Thrift Saving Plan that would include reservists of all services.
The director of the board administering this plan has come out against reservists opening any accounts of this Thrift Savings Plan because of low $$ contributions. Suggested service charges for this plan are .6% for federal employees, 1.5% for active duty, 8.4% for reservists.
The NMVA urges Congress to continue its support for reservists by directing that the service charge be no more than what the active duty participants pay. Further the small dollar contributions can by counteracted by allowing reservists to donate up to 5% of an active duty salary, but not to exceed their amount of drill pay.
AVAILABILTY OF LEGAL
SERVICES TO RESERVISTS
Many individuals who return to civilian/drilling status following a call-up, find legal complications with mortgage or rental obligations, or other contractual agreements. Protection from these lawsuits should be provided by the Soldiers, Sailors, Airment and Marines Act. Unfortunately, while protected by the letter of the law, our Guardsmen and Reservists are protected from the cost of the law. Personal funds need to be expended to corrected these lawsuits. Often times its cheaper to settle than fight. An active duty member would have access to the Legal Service Office.
While Reservists have access to legal service offices for a short duration, these problems often take longer than this period to manifest.
The NMVA supports the concept of extending a returned Reservist’s access time to legal services. We support the concept of providing a period of coverage that matches the period that the Guardsman or Reservist was on recall.
HEROISM PAY FOR RESERVISTS
Section 3991 (Computation of Retired Pay)(a)(2), Title 10, United States Code, authorized an additional 10% for certain enlisted members credited with extraordinary heroism.
Two cases have been noted where this pay may be lost: A) An active person, qualifying for heroism retirement pay, loses it if they transfer to a branch of the reserves. B) A reservist while recalled to active duty performs with valor and extraordinary heroics and qualifies for heroism retirement pay, but with their return to reserve status, they lose the 10% bonus.
NMVA feels that the bonus of 10% should be paid to any retiree, active or reservist, who qualifies through extraordinary heroism.
MILITARY FUNERAL HONORS
All veterans, active duty and reserve personnel are now entitled to military funeral honors. With the aging veteran population, 146,000 military funerals are anticipated in FY 2000, rising to over 600,000 military funerals by FY 2004.
Active duty personnel cannot handle this increased duty assignment by themselves. National Guardsman and Reservists will be called upon to help provide military funeral honors. A funeral detail honor guard needs to be a stable population, of trained professionals, who are dedicated at honoring the veteran and reassuring the veteran’s family;
Congress has authorized Guard and Reservists to perform Funeral Honor Duty, but with only a $50 dollar stipend, an inactive duty point, and travel reimbursement if mileage is over 100 miles roundtrip. Such reimbursement will encourage participation by reservists on occasion , but not be a basis for a committed, long term honor guard detail.
The NMVA feels that current stipend is insufficient. We urge Congress to change the law to provide honor guard reserve members with the same pay and benefits as the active member of the same honor guard duty.
TRAVEL: SPACE "A" EQUITY
To find paid positions, a number of reservists voluntarily accept positions that are outside normal commuting distances. Many are willing to cross the country for the opportunity for pay and training. A number of the services do not reimburse for travel to and from drill. Individual reservists pay for their travel out of pocket.
For some, Space "A" travel is an option. But a reservist, travelling under orders to a drill site is only a Category Five, in a six category system. The low priority makes Space "A" flight unreliable as there are four groups ahead of the Reservist.
The NMVA supports that a Reservist traveling under orders to drill or to Annual Training be given the same Category Status as an Active Duty member flying under orders.
RETIRED COLA
Under current law the annual Cost-of Living Adjustment (COLA) applicable to retirement pay for retired military personnel is less 0.5% modified to the annual rate of change in the cost of living as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This calculated COLA reduction is causing retired military, both active and reserve, to experience a significant reduction in pension income in terms of constant dollars, and this in turn is causing hardship to our people. Many of these same people suffered years of under payment in pay raises while defending the United States.
Therefore, NMVA is requesting a change in law that directs calculation of COLA to be based on a one hundred percent (100%) of the annual increase in the cost of living as measured by the Economic Performance Index.
REQUIRED LENGTH OF YEARS
OF RESERVE AFFILIATION
Current law requires the eight final years of a reservist to be in a reserve component before qualifying for reserve retirement pay. Following reduction in force (RIFF) of the armed forces, certain members are leaving active duty and joining the reserves, but are unable to complete eight years before required discharge from service.
Because of this RIFF, a waiver has been allowed reducing this eight-year requirement to six. This waiver authority expires in 2001.
The NMVA urges Congress to change the law to reduce reserve component affiliation to the final six years of an individual’s career to qualify for reserve retirement pay.
TRAVEL: SPACE "A" EQUITY
AMONG RETIREES
Once an active duty member retires, SPACE "A" travel becomes a benefit for travel within the United States, and overseas with dependents. A reserve retiree gets the same benefit at age 60 years. The definition for this benefit is "a retiree in pay."
Reservists can retire after 20 years. They don’t receive pay until age 60 years. There is a period of between 10 to 20 years that a Reservist can be retired without pay. Currently, these individuals can travel with the Notice of Eligibility (20 year)Letter, but travel is limited to CONUS, Alaska, Hawaii.
The NMVA supports that all retirees, whether paid or unpaid, should be authorized identical space available travel priviledges. Legislation is needed to direct DOD to make regulatory change.
DEFER REPAYMENT OF STUDENT LOANS
FOR ACTIVATED RESERVISTS
Mobilized Reservists who have federal Stafford and Perkins education loans are currently required to begin repaying those loans while they are still on active duty.
The NMVA suggests that the period of their involuntary active duty be excluded from the calculation of their loan repayment start date.
LOSSING MGIB BENEFITS
BECAUSE OF RECALL
Members who are students are at academic risk if the are called up. Currently if a student has to discontinue a course of study for recall, under MGIB, Chapter 1606, those months of study are charged against their 36 months MGIB benefits entitlement period because they failed to receive credit for the course. A provision was passed to protect members serving during the Gulf War only.
The NMVA supports not reducing the benefits entitlement period for students who are called up for a contingency operation during mid academic session.
LENGTH OF MGIB
BENEFITS FOR RESERVISTS
A reservist can qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill from either active duty or six years of reserve drilling time. Demands of family, and both a civilian and reserve career often preclude the individual from a timely pursuit of education. GI Bill benefits run out before, they can be used.
Often, in this economy, a person needs retraining midway in their civilian career. NMVA seeks an extension of benefits. If the benefit cannot remain available until it is exhausted, then for reservists start the ten year clock at the termination of their reserve career.
RECRUITING
MGIB
The military services are having difficulty recruiting and retaining members in both active and reserve components. The Montgomery G.I. Bill (MGIB) has been used as a recruiting tool in the past. In the reserves, to qualify for the Montgomery G.I. Bill, a six year contract is required.
The MGIB is only authorized to 2003, no recruiter should be using it on enlistment contract terms beyond that year. Therefore, the NMVA urges Congress to extend the MGBI authorizations, making it a permanent program.
COMPENSATION FOR EMPLOYERS
OF RESERVISTS
Reservists are more often being called into service by the CINC’s for longer periods of time per year to defer a "hollowing out" process that could draw down the strength, readiness and flexibility of our combat units.
Employers are bearing a hardship of added expense to cover the manpower loss when reservists are recalled. Contracts are made for temporary employee’s, overhead costs are maintained on reservists for certain benefits; each adding unbudgeted expenses. With multiple call-ups of individuals, some employers are voicing frustration and resentment.
NMVA believes that Congress should develop a tax credit to help compensate employers who have employee reservists called back on active duty.