Equality for Guard and Reserves
by Larry Gill

In today’s volatile world of crime and terrorism, people often overlook the heroes within their own neighborhoods.  Take a look at your plumbers, electricians, police officers, bakers, or even the greens keeper at your local country club.  It is within the ranks of these occupations and many others, that you find the ‘Super Heroes’ of today. 

I am talking about those men and women serving in the National Guard and Reserve forces of our military.  These men and women, for the most part, are your blue-collar, hard-working, pay check to pay check Americans, who are not only fulfilling their obligations to their families, but also to their Nation as productive citizens and as the guardians of our way of life.  They work, pay taxes, and generally try to make ends meet, while at the same time, continuing to set the standards of leadership, responsibility, and patriotism many of us need, have taken for granted, or forgotten all together!  While they may not be on active duty service in Ramstein, Germany; Okinawa, Japan, or even Honolulu, Hawaii, make no mistake, these men and women of the National Guard and Reserve forces provide the blanket of freedom you and I sleep beneath!   

For those who do not know the difference between guard and reserves, let me explain.  Our military is broken down into Active Duty (AD) components, Reserve Components (RC), and National Guard (NG).  I might add that each AD branch of service has its own RC, but only the Army and the Air Force have NG components.

The AD components are just that!  These are the men and women who go into the military and are transitioned into a subculture of like-minded patriots for the next several years of their lives.  They are cared for, fed, housed, clothed and paid for full time employment, 24/7, 365 days a year.  For those who become “Lifers,” they are eligible to retire after twenty years of service and draw a somewhat decent retirement for the rest of their days.  These retirement benefits include 50% of their active duty base pay, medical and dental, PX and commissary privileges.  There are of course other benefits, but the point I am making is that the AD components are eligible to receive their retirement pay and benefits as soon as they reach that milestone.  Some retire as young as 37 years of age!

For those that decide the AD lifestyle is not entirely for them, they may choose to serve in the RC.  That is, they usually serve one weekend a month (known as Drill weekend), and two weeks during the summer (known as Annual Training (AT)).  However, since both the AD and RC serve at the pleasure of the federal government (under U.S. Code (USC)Title 10), the RC often serve more than one AT per year, and can be deployed anywhere, anytime, along with their AD counterparts.  When serving, these RC forces receive the same pay and benefits as the AD.  However, since RC careers are usually achieved with part-time service, they must wait until age 60 to receive their retirements.  Simply because of the way the legislation is worded!  Once their active service is completed, these RC forces return to their civilian jobs to resume their day-to-day responsibilities as citizens of this great Nation.    

Finally, there is the National Guard!  NG components go through the same rigid hiring process and initial training as the AD and RC.  The tentative work schedule is the same as the RC.  That is, one drill-weekend per month and one AT per year.  Commonly referred to as the “week-end warriors!”  However, not only does NG fulfill these Federal training mandates, they must also respond to and serve during times of natural disasters and civil unrest here at home.  NG serves at the pleasure of the Governor of their respective states, and fall within the authority and jurisdiction of USC, Title 32.  (The differences between USC, Title 10 and Title 32, are another story for another time!)  Like the RC, NG retirements are based on part-time service, with an accumulated 20 years of service.  The NG must also wait until reaching age 60 to receive retirement compensation.  There have been a few legislative proposals to reduce the eligibility age requirement to that of 55 years of age, which would bring the guard and reserve retirements in line with other state and federal retirement systems.  However, that has not happened!  Nonetheless, having briefly explained the different duty status options of our armed forces, I should note that while the “Global War on Terror” has forced us to re-write the usage and responsibilities of all of our armed forces, particularly with the extended use of our Guard and Reserves, the legislation that differentiates between the AD, RC, and NG, have not been changed.  The phrase, “Army of One,” could not be further from the truth!

Since 9-11, our RC and NG have been mobilized and deployed more, than at any time in the history of the United States!  Our military men and women, regardless of their AD, RC, or NG status, are being shot, killed, maimed, and seriously wounded.  They all bleed the same color, and they all wear the same uniform and the same badge of courage!  However, the “after-care” is simply not the same.  Now there have been some of our elected officials (on both sides of the isle), who have stepped up and offered various legislative bills to improve the benefits for our military and their families.  For the most part, these bills are half-heartedly written, and skim the surface of the real issues at stake, simply to prove to their constituency that they care for the troops serving in harm’s way.  For example, the Serviceman’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI) has been increased from $250,000 to $400,000, and the death benefit has been increased well above the $10,000 mark.  However, there are new programs that benefit only the AD components, and are leaving the RC and NG standing in the waiting lines!

For decades, if a service member eligible for military retirement, became disabled, he/she could not receive both their military retirement AND their Veteran’s Administration (VA) compensation.  The two were offset because of legislation to ‘save a penny here and there,’ and therefore the disabled veteran took it on the chin!  Today, we have legislation to correct that flaw.  However, the Combat Related Special Compensation Pay (CRSCP) and/or the Combat Related Disability Pay (CRDP) clearly benefit the AD military, NOT the RC or NG.  Here is how!

To be eligible for the CRSCP or the CRDP, the service member must have 20 years of service, (or a twenty-year letter for RC and NG),  the VA disability rating must be at least 50% disability, and must have occurred as a result of an armed conflict with the enemy.  Usually, a Purple Heart Medal clarifies that issue!  The final eligibility is that the service member must be eligible to receive his/her retirement pay.  This is good for the AD member, providing he/she has met all the requirements.  This program allows him/her to immediately receive the offset portion, and could be as much as, if not more than a $1,000 per month, added to the retirement of the AD member.

However, despite meeting all the same eligibility requirements, the RC or the NG member must wait until age 60, to receive this compensation.  Some guard, reserves being severely injured, and disabled in this “War on Terror,” in most cases, have to wait some 15 years or more, before receiving the same compensation as the AD counterparts.  Simply put, the hand grenades, Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), and the bullets that are killing, wounding, and disabling our troops, could care less if the intended target is AD, RC, or NG!  Why then are our elected officials still writing legislation to keep our military components segregated, when it is painfully obvious that we are all in the same fight, facing the same injuries, and entitled to the exact same compensation!

Finally, to quote a recently retired VA supervisor with 30 years of service, “The laws and regulations have not been updated to include the National Guard or Reserves!”  There should be more amended legislation to provide the well-deserved compensation and/or benefits to our military service persons, Active, Reserves, or Guard.  I mean after all, we truly are, “An Army of One!”

Larry Gill is a veteran with 22 years of service and a two-time recipient of the Purple Heart Medal for wounds received in action.  He is the founder of First Person, Inc., a speaking group consisting of veterans injured during the Global War on Terror, and may be contacted at: www.FirstPerson-WaronTerror.com.