Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson joined colleagues in requesting improvements to outdated retirement benefits for members of the National Guard and Reserve. Simpson signed a bipartisan letter addressed to leadership of the House Armed Services Committee pointing out the central role that our National Guard and Reserve troops play in national defense and asking them to modernize their retirement benefits, which are a key tool to improving recruitment and retention among the soldiers.
 
“The National Guard Retirement Policy is outdated and simply unfair,” said Simpson. “We are way overdue in changing these rules and I am hopeful that the committee will take this issue up in the near future.”
 
The letter requests that the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2008 include a provision to reduce the minimum retirement age for National Guard and Reserve members by three months for every 90 days of mobilization in support of a contingency operation on or after September 11, 2001. The bill also allows for a maximum reduction from age 60 to 50 under these requirements.
 
“Only the National Guard must wait until they are 60 to receive retirement immediately upon completion of service,” said Simpson. “The Guard and Reserve play a critical role in U.S. military operations overseas and make enormous sacrifices to protect our country, and their retirement benefits should reflect their service.”
 
The bill will also cost less than previous proposals to reduce the retirement age of the Nation Guard and Reserve; and it targets members who have and will serve in support of the Global War on Terror.