S&S - Reserve chiefs: Our people deserve better retirement

Stars and Stripes

Reserve chiefs: Our people deserve better retirement

By Tom Philpott, Special to Stars and Stripes


Pacific edition, Saturday, March 7, 2009


Reserve and National Guard members deserve a better retirement plan, one that pays an annuity earlier than age 60 at least for those willing to serve longer than 20 years, Reserve leaders have told Congress.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Reservists might deserve extended health care coverage too, also in recognition of their full operational role in Iraq, Afghanistan and future wars, said some reserve component commanders who testified Tuesday before the House armed services subcommittee on military personnel."

"Current reserve retirement offers little or no incentive for members to serve past 20 years, Stultz said, because longer service doesn’t change the age 60 start of annuities. So it’s hard to persuade members or spouses that another hitch is worth the risk of returning to war or being separated, Stultz explained. He cited a recent conversation with a Guardsman whose skill, truck driver, is dangerous and in demand among units deploying for war."

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"A law passed in early 2008 does allow earlier retirement than age 60 for Reserve and Guard members with 20 or more years if they deploy for war or national emergency. For every 90 consecutive days they spend mobilized, reservists will see the start date for annuities cut by three months. But Congress made the change effective only for deployment time after Jan. 28, 2008, leaving out many thousands deployed since 9-11.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), ranking Republican on the personnel subcommittee, a retired Army reserve officer and father of four children now serving on active duty or in the reserves, has reintroduced a bill (HR 208) to extend last year’s reserve retirement change retroactively to cover mobilizations since 9/11. Another Wilson bill (HR 972) would allow Guard and Reserve member who earn early retirement to receive full TRICARE benefits between the time annuities start and 60."



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S&S - Army tests new deployment plan. ‘Reset’ calls for 15 months of dwell time between tours.

From my archive of press clippings:

Stars and Stripes

Army tests new deployment plan

‘Reset’ calls for 15 months of dwell time between tours

By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes

Mideast edition, Sunday, June 22, 2008

VICENZA, Italy — Predictability in times of war is nearly impossible. But a new plan being tested by the Army might change that.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"The "reset" plan, as it’s being called, would not only give troops more time between deployments, but also give them more time in their own beds.

Army leaders have tapped 13 units — eight active duty and five from the reserve component — to test the plan.

If successful it will be implemented throughout the Army in about five years, when the last of the units completes the trial period."

"As the plan currently is written, planning for troops’ return home will begin 180 days before the unit leaves the combat zone, and continue until the unit sets out again — ideally after 15 months of dwell time at home.

In the next few years, planners hope to stretch the dwell time to 24 months before a unit has to again set out for a combat zone"

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"While "resetting" the Army’s deployment cycle still is years out, units have introduced tangible programs and changes to ease them into back to home life that the soldiers see today.

Army units have many programs to take the soldiers out of the pressure cooker of a war zone.

Returning soldiers, for example, must report to work for the first week they return, but only report for half a day."