Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) are seeking passage of a Congressional resolution encouraging the U.S. Military to help their own soldiers, including members of the National Guard, who are on leave but can’t get home for the holidays.

The resolution was introduced after conversations with the leadership of the Oregon Military Department and learning that members of the Oregon National Guard 162nd Engineering Battalion would be stuck in Wisconsin over the holiday season. The unit had been training at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin after leaving Oregon earlier this year. They were scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan before Christmas but those plans were changed and the unit will now not deploy until after Christmas.

The U.S. Military does not divert military aircraft to help service members travel to their home bases leaving the 162nd, and other units in similar positions, to either pay the high cost of holiday airfare out-of-pocket or spend their holiday on the base. Schrader’s resolution encourages the military to “maximize opportunities” to use military aircraft to get service members home over this holiday season.

“Our Oregon warriors and their families sacrifice so much for our communities and our nation,” said Schrader. “They spend months and months abroad and often serve multiple tours. If it is practical to get mothers, fathers, sons and daughters home to their families for the holidays it just makes sense to make it happen.”

“This resolution is only the start of an effort to end a U.S. Military policy that results in members of the armed services being abandoned away from home during the holidays,” Wyden said. “If the military is going to rely more and more on the citizen soldiers of the National Guard then it needs to do more to get them -- and all service members who are on leave -- together with their families, especially during the holiday season.”

The Oregon War Veterans Association (OWVA) and Portland television station KATU have been working together to solicit charitable donations to help bring members of the 162nd home. However there are other members of the Armed Forces who are in similar situations across the country.

“I’m glad Greg Warnock and the OWVA are working with the KATU to step up to the plate and help solve this problem for our local folks but it is a shame they have go to such lengths to bring our service members home to their families,” continued Schrader.

The resolution was introduced in the House on Thursday afternoon by Congressman Schrader and upon House passage would move to the Senate for its approval. The following is the complete text of the resolution:

 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Encouraging the Secretaries of the military departments to maximize opportunities for space-available travel for members of the Armed Forces in a leave or pass status who are traveling between December 18, 2009, and January 3, 2010.

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the Secretaries of the military departments, in conjunction with aircraft training and cargo missions, should maximize opportunities for space-available travel for members of the Armed Forces in a leave or pass status who are traveling between December 18, 2009, and January 3, 2010.