Men and women of the armed forces serving in Korea should get the same tax benefits as those serving in other deployed areas of the world such as Afghanistan, Kuwait and the Balkans. We cannot fix all of the quality of life problems in Korea overnight, but we can at least provide basic equity in the tax treatment of military personnel who serve there.

Duty tours in Korea involve longer separations from family, under worse quality of life conditions than almost any other overseas Army post, in a military zone that is clearly hostile, for less pay. The quality of life in Korea is recognized as substantially lower than other overseas posts and far lower than within the United States.

Our troops make the best of this deplorable situation, but they deserve some relief. These are the men and women on whom we rely to deter North Korean aggression on a peninsula that still is technically in a state of war.

H.R. 3412 would grant tax exclusion for military personnel serving in the Republic of Korea. This tax equity is needed, and is needed now. This is surely the least we owe the fine men and women serving in Korea today.