Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

By Mr. DURBIN:

S. 1859. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to revise the age and service requirements for eligibility to receive retired pay for non-regular service; to the Committee on Armed Services.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, I am introducing a bill that would not only lower the retirement age for reservists but offer incentives for members of the National Guard and Reserves to remain longer in the service of their country.

The bill, the Reservists Retention Act of 2003, lowers the age at which reservists could draw full retirement benefits. Under current law, reservists must complete 20 qualifying years, "good years", or more in order to retire at age 60. A number of bills have been introduced during this Congress that would lower the reserve retirement age in various ways: to age 55; or with immediate eligibility as soon as the reservist completes 20 qualifying years; or with a two-for-one formula where for every two years served beyond 20, the reservist will earn a one-year drop in the retirement age.

These bills are all serious attempts to address the growing recognition that our Reserve Forces are overburdened and under-compensated. The Reservists Retention Act of 2003 aims to balance key provisions from these bills by allowing reservists who serve beyond the requisite 20 qualifying years to retire one year earlier for each year of service beyond 20, down to the age of 55. For example, a reservist who completes 23 qualifying years would be able to retire at 57; one who completes 25 or more years would be able to retire at 55, but no earlier than 55.

In the face of frequent and increasingly long deployments, offering this "one-for-one" retirement formula for extended service will aid in retaining experienced reservists in both the National Guard and Reserves beyond the 20-year mark.

I believe this bill is fair and recognizes the drastically changed nature of Reserve service. Since the end of the Cold War, employment of our Reserve Forces has shifted profoundly, from being primarily an expansion force to augment Active Forces during a major war, to the situation today where DoD admits that no significant operation can be undertaken without the Reserve Components.

Right now there are 155,000 National Guard and Reserves who are mobilized and on active duty. Another 43,000 reservists have been alerted that they can expect to be called up early next year. Those who are assigned to Iraq can expect to be away from their families for 18 months, with 12 months of that time in Iraq.

We need to clearly demonstrate our commitment to the well being of America's reservists and their families. The Reservists Retention Act of 2003 acknowledges the increasing stress associated with reserve service by providing an incentive to experienced personnel to remain in the Reserves or National Guard until retirement.

They are doing so much for us; we should do no less for them.

I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this important measure. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD.