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Lawmakers seek Guard transition program

A Minnesota program to help demobilizing National Guard members make the transition back to civilian life could become the model for a national program.

Legislation introduced Tuesday in the House of Representatives and Thursday in the Senate would establish an office of reintegration at the National Guard Bureau that would oversee the effort to provide an array of service for returning troops and their families and to have regular seminars at one, two and three months after return to help with any problems. Seminars and services would include marriage and family counseling, an explanation of military and veterans’ health care, veterans’ education benefits, financial planning, small-business planning and other guidance about community resources.

The proposal is modeled on the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program of the Minnesota National Guard.

Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., a Marine Corps veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, is the chief sponsor of the House bill, HR 2090, which he hopes can be attached as an amendment to the 2008 defense authorization bill now pending before the committee.

Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., chairman of the House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee, said Wednesday that several states running worthwhile programs, including Oregon, Washington and New Hampshire, which could be used as examples for better transition programs for the Guard and reserve. The problem, Snyder said, is that “some proposals are very expensive” and could be approved only by looking outside the military personnel budget for a source of funding.

“There are literally hundreds of programs across the country currently ongoing,” he said. “The committee believes that the best course of action is to establish a working group that is directed to look at the best practices of all these programs and develop programs and policies that can be implemented across the country. As history has proven, what may be best for one part of the country does not necessarily work in another.”

When he introduced his bill, Kline said demobilization has been disruptive. “For National Guard members returning to their families, hometowns and civilian employment, readjusting to civilian life can be extremely challenging,” he said.

Cost is an issue, he said, but added: “In my judgment, it’s a small price to pay for this tremendous service.”

Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., chief sponsor of the Senate version of the bill, S 1272, and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Minnesota’s program “is a great model we can use to create a national program to help our returning Guardsmen and women.”