Congressman Derrick Van Orden and Congressman Chris Pappas have introduced bipartisan legislation in Washington, D.C. to increase the rate of leave for members of the Reserve and National Guard. The Reserve and National Guard Military Leave Enhancement Act aims to establish leave parity between National Guardsmen, Reservists, and Active Duty members by doubling the leave time from 15 days to 30 days.
Van Orden emphasized, "Just like Active Duty, Reservists and National Guardsmen commit themselves to defending our nation. By increasing their rate of leave to match what is granted to Active Duty servicemembers, we are ensuring they receive adequate time to complete their required trainings and serve our nation without taking a pay cut."
Pappas echoed this sentiment, stating, "Our federal employees that play a critical role in supporting our armed forces should not be subject to burdensome and outdated requirements that penalize them for serving our nation."
According to retired Army major general Jeffrey E. Phillips, executive director of ROA, the legislation is crucial for balancing military duty, civilian life, and family responsibilities for Reserve and National Guard members. Phillips expressed gratitude to Van Orden and Pappas for introducing the act, which aims to enhance military readiness.
Les Hackett, Legislative Director for the Association of Civilian Technicians, highlighted the need to update the military leave law to reflect the increased military training requirements for Guard and Reserve units. Hackett emphasized that the legislation will benefit federal employees in the Guard or Reserve and improve readiness through recruiting and retention of unit members.
The bipartisan effort to enhance military leave comes as part of Van Orden's ongoing advocacy for parity between National Guardsmen, Reservists, and Active Duty servicemembers. Last month, Van Orden introduced the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserves (MGIB-SR) Tuition Fairness Act, furthering his commitment to supporting members of the military.
For further details, the full text of the bill can be accessed by clicking [here](#).
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