The Senate Armed Services Committee agreed with Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) that the National Guard and Reserve should get time off their retirement dates for contingency support. According to a statement from Chambliss, the committee included in its markup for the 2008 defense authorization bill a provision that would reduce the age at which an individual would receive retirement pay by three months for every 90 days spent on active duty supporting a contingency operation and would subtract time for active duty service for national emergencies. Under current procedures, reservists must wait until they reach age 60 to collect retirement pay.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
