MNGEA State President Ray Kennedy this week drafted a letter for US Representative Timothy Walz (MN-1) extending the Association’s support for The Reserve Component Benefits Parity Act. During the MNGEA State Conference a few weeks ago, a resolution was passed by the Association to address the concerns of many Minnesota Guard personnel who have been deployed under 10 U.S. Code § 12304 which provides that when the President determines that it is necessary to augment the active forces for any operational mission, up to 200,000 members of the Selected Reserve can be called to active duty for not more than 270 days. (Note: The FY 2007 Military Authorization Act changes the maximum from 270 days to 365 days). This is known as Presidential Selected Reserve Call-Up (PSRC) authority. This provision also states that no unit or member may be ordered to active duty under this authority to provide assistance to either the federal government or a state in time of a serious natural or manmade disaster, accident, or catastrophe. Thus, this authority cannot be used to access reservists for domestic emergencies.
The issue most Reservists have with this call up stems from the fact that many of the benefits provided to the active duty components are not granted to Reserve personnel under 10 U.S. Code § 12304, mainly early retirement credit, access to transitional healthcare, and Post 9/11 G.I. Bill benefits.
MNGEA has been working with it’s parent National-level organization EANGUS (Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States) over the last couple of years on this issue.
Click on the below link to read the letter from President Kennedy.