Help for Families of Reservists and Guard Members

Help for Families of Reservists and Guard Members

Rep. Boozman's Column for the Week of April 26, 2004

The men and women of our National Guard and our Reservists in our Armed Forces have made enormous sacrifices for us over the years. That reality has never been more apparent then since the War on Terror began.

The National Guard and our military's reserve component are playing a highly critical role in the War on Terror. There are presently 167,478 National Guardsmen and Reservists on active duty and their contributions to the War on Terror are immeasurable.

Arkansas alone has over 3,500 Guardsmen, soldiers and airmen currently mobilized and hundreds of others who have returned from up to two years of duty. Our state is certainly lifting a heavy load in the War on Terror. Guard units from across Arkansas including units in Russellville, Clarksville and Harrison have been deployed or activated to play important roles in the War on Terror and they are making our state proud.

For their families though, this is a difficult time. Especially in light of the Department of Defense's (DOD) recent announcement that more than 4,100 Army National Guard soldiers belonging to units from 14 states will remain on duty in Iraq and Kuwait for an additional three months or more to support the War on Terror.

The families of the men and women of these units are no doubt disappointed that their loved ones won't be coming home as soon as they hoped. On top of the emotional stress comes the financial reality. The men and women of the Guard and Reservists in our Armed Forces are individuals that have put their careers on hold to defend our way of life. In doing so, many of our Guardsmen and Reservists have taken a drastic cut in pay, creating financial hardships for their families.

We have an obligation to help Guardsmen and Reservists' families in these trying times. For this reason, the House unanimously passed legislation last week that allows Guardsmen and Reservists who are activated for more than 179 days to make penalty-free, early withdrawals from their IRA or pension fund. The bill is retroactive to cover those Guardsmen and Reservists who were called to service beginning on September 11, 2001, and extends to cover those who may continue to be called to active duty through September 12, 2005.

Additionally, to ensure financial retirement security for these families, H.R. 1779 encourages repayment of the withdrawn funds to the IRA or pension fund within two years of ending this active duty and temporarily lifts the contribution cap to equal the amount of the withdrawn funds to allow for full repayment.

It is my hope that the Senate moves quickly on this very important bill. The families of our reservists and the men and women that are serving in the National Guard need our help. They are husband and wives, fathers and mothers and they are making enormous sacrifices to defend our nation. They are meeting their obligations as members of the Guard and as Reservists; we too must meet our obligations as Americans and help them during these difficult times.