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Klobuchar, Coleman Introduce Amendments to Help Minnesota National Guard Troops

Amendments range from education benefits to recruitment tactics

July 11, 2007

Washington, D.C. - In an effort to ease the reintegration process of the 2,600 Minnesota National Guard troops returning home from combat in the coming weeks, Minnesota Senators and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Norm Coleman (R-MN) today introduced a variety of amendments to the fiscal year 2008 Defense Authorization bill. The amendments will address an array of issues faced by Minnesota troops during and after their combat duty, including education benefits, pay disparity issues, recruiting efforts, and professional licensing and certification challenges.

“As a nation, we have an obligation to wrap our arms around those who serve and sacrifice for us,” said Klobuchar. “I believe America can do much better, especially for the men and women of our National Guard and Reserves. The sacrifices our troops have made, and the risks they have taken, were very clear to me when I visited Iraq this past spring. These amendments are a step forward in honoring their sacrifices and ensuring that our debt to them is repaid.”

“Our country’s armed forces make unimaginable sacrifices each and every day to protect our freedom, our national security, and our overall way of life. It is our duty as the citizens they protect to ensure they have access to the most important resources upon their return,” said Coleman. “I have spent time with our troops and their families to learn about their pressing needs, and have crafted several amendments that will begin to address them. Passage of these amendments is the least we can do to repay our troops and their families for their heroism.”

Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program

This amendment would create a national reintegration program for National Guard and Reserve troops based on the Minnesota National Guard’s highly successful Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program. The program would provide informational events and activities to assist National Guard soldiers, families, and community members through all phases of the deployment cycle including pre and post deployment. The resources provided in this amendment include family and marriage counseling, financial planning and education, small business planning, community outreach, and healthcare and veterans benefits education.

“I have secured and will continue to seek funding for this exceptional program for Minnesota’s troops. With this amendment, we will ensure the program’s continuance, not only in Minnesota, but throughout the nation,” said Coleman. “These folks risk their lives for our country; we must be certain that their transition from military life to civilian life goes as smoothly as possible. This amendment will ensure that these men and women have an opportunity to be successful before, during and after their service.”

“A family and community reintegration program like Beyond the Yellow Ribbon is especially important for Guard members,” said Klobuchar. “Instead of going back to an active-duty military base, they return to civilian lives in literally hundreds of communities and small towns across this country. Beyond the Yellow Ribbon has already helped ease the transition for many Minnesota soldiers and their families. What works here can work in every state across the nation.”

Nursing Licensure Exemption

National Guard and Reserve troops who are Certified Nurse Aids in the private sector are currently at risk of losing their certifications due to extended active duty tours in Iraq. Under current law, if a Certified Nurse Aid goes 24 months without performing medical services they lose their certification and are forced to retake training and certification exams which are costly and time consuming. This amendment would allow nursing aids who have served on active duty an additional 24 months after returning from active duty service to perform nurse or nurse related services before expiration of their certifications. Additionally, the amendment would require the Secretary of Defense to report recommendations to Congress on legislative action to exempt or delay licensure and certification requirements of other Reserve Component professionals called to active duty. The amendment comes as a direct result of a conversation Senator Coleman had with Minnesota National Guard members in Iraq.

Soldier Pay Discrepancy

Currently, Minnesota National Guard and Reserve soldiers who were deployed in Kosovo and now Iraq are eligible for assignment incentive pay ($1,000 per month) because of their extended service. Those who were previously deployed to Bosnia are not receiving the assignment pay due to a technicality in their mobilization orders. This amendment allows the Secretary of Defense to eliminate this discrepancy by authorizing Assignment Incentive Pay for these troops regardless of their mobilization orders

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