Sen. Klobuchar Seeks More Federal Support for MN National Guard Members & Their Families

Press Release

Sen. Klobuchar Seeks More Federal Support for MN National Guard Members & Their Families

Citing figures that National Guard and Reserve members account for more than half of all Minnesotans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced that she will seek additional federal support for the state's innovative Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program that helps returning Guard troops with the transition back to their families and local communities.

Klobuchar was joined at a news conference by Brigadier General Jon Trost, the Deputy Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard, and Chaplain Major John Morris, organizer of the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program. Recently-returned Guard members and their families were also present.

The news conference came a day after an announcement that the tour of duty in Iraq for 200 members of the Duluth-based 148th Fighter Wing Air Guard unit would be extended for an additional 40 days.

Last month, Klobuchar was part of a bipartisan Senate delegation that visited Iraq, where she met and thanked Minnesota troops for their service.

Klobuchar, who belongs to the National Guard Caucus in Congress, said the war in Iraq has made "unprecedented demands" on the Guard. She noted that more than 16,000 Minnesota residents have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and, of that number, more than 8,700 have been Reservists and Guard members.

"America has created a new generation of veterans during the past five years," Klobuchar said. "In many respects, this war has involved a different kind of soldier. In Vietnam, the average age was 19. But the average age of Guard members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan is 33."

Klobuchar added that three-fourths of all soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have families of their own. And fully one-half of the soldiers who have been killed left families behind.

"As a nation and a state, we have an obligation to wrap our arms around those who serve and sacrifice for us. I believe we can do much better, especially for the men and women of the National Guard."

The Minnesota National Guard launched Beyond the Yellow Ribbon to improve how returning soldiers and airmen are reintegrated back to their communities. It provides comprehensive community-based support and counseling to Guard members and their families.

Klobuchar said it is a national model and she pledged to seek $4.5 million in new federal appropriations for the next year to strengthen and expand the program in Minnesota.

"This is appropriate because, in addition to those who have already returned, we still have more than 3,000 Minnesota Guard members who remain overseas," Klobuchar said. "They will be returning home and we need to be prepared to welcome them."

Klobuchar said she also supports other pending federal legislation:

- "The Coming Together for National Guard and Reserve Families Act" would provide new support for National Guard and Reserve family members - including family-to-family support programs, support services for children and expanded access to mental health services.

- "The HOPE at HOME Act" would offer tax incentives for companies to hire Guard or Reserve members when they return from service and to hire replacement workers when employees are called up to active duty, as long as they continue to compensate the Guard or Reserve employee while away.

- "The National Guard Empowerment Act" would promote the commander of the National Guard to a four-star general and make him a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, while granting the Guard more responsibility for coordinating federal and local agencies during emergencies.

"There's a saying that when a husband or wife gets deployed, so does the rest of the family," said Klobuchar. "They are being asked to do so much. They are standing up and standing tall. I believe Congress needs to stand up and stand tall, too."

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