Content Manager posted on December 15, 2011 14:17
Active duty service for demobilizing National Guard and Reserve members would be extended by 45 days to allow time for decompression from combat, as well as preparation for transition to civilian life, under a proposal sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
The idea is similar to the “reverse boot camp” concept discussed for several years but never launched, although President Obama recently asked the Defense, Veterans Affairs and Labor departments to come up with a plan for extended transition help. While holding people longer on active duty, Wyden’s bill also would allow Guard and Reserve members to reduce the 45-day extension by up to 14 days, if they ask. While active duty soldiers come home to military bases and the job 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 bill, the National Guard and Reserve Soft Landing Reintegration Act, requires a 45-day extension of active duty, in addition to accrued leave for Reserve component members deployed for more than 269 days. The members would receive full military pay and allowances during the extended service. During their additional time on active duty, Guard and Reserve members and their families could receive a variety of employment and personal counseling, and the member could receive physical and mental health evaluations.