'Lip Service' on Retirement
I read with great interest April magazine's "Capital View" written by Rep. Jim Saxton, R-NJ., regarding H. R. 783, which would lower the age at which retired pay could be received.
I wonder sometimes if I will be like so many reserve-component soldiers who never reach age 60 or die soon after, never reaping the benefits of their service to their country.
H.R. 783 was introduced Feb. 10, 2005, and referred to the House Armed Services Committee. On March 14, 2005, it was referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel, of which Mr. Saxton and six of the co-sponsors are members.
There has not been any further action since then!
Mr. Saxton's article made the impression that this was an issue he had currently been dealing with. But Congress is not.
It is time for NGAUS to make this a top and hot priority. There has been little talk and, in reality, no action.
I have written every member of my congressional delegation regarding this issue. I urge everyone to do the same.
Retired Maj. Michael Moseley
South Carolina
Army National Guard
Remembering a Comrade
In October 2004, Sgt. Christopher Potts ran around a berm in Taji, Iraq, looking for cover.
According to The Providence Journal, after insurgents attacked, "Potts shouted to those behind him to stay back. Then he fell in the sand. A medic from Arkansas ran to help him. He died too."
On April 17, two Rhode Island Guard officers marched the Boston Marathon to honor Sergeant Potts. Second Lts. Michael Calcagni and Ryan Hogan, carrying 25-pound ruck sacks, marched until the last half mile when they began to run to the cheers of fans. They crossed the finish line the same way they started nearly eight hours before: in T-shirts displaying a picture of Sergeant Potts.
Sgt. John Cervone
Rhode Island
Army National Guard
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Source: National Guard
