Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Pentagon under fire for troops' tour extensions
By Eric Rodriguez
The Daily Iowan (U. Iowa)
02/07/2007

(U-WIRE) IOWA CITY, Iowa — Usually members of the Iowa National Guard are notified by the Department of Defense when their tour of duty is extended. But almost four weeks ago, soldiers in the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, learned of their 125-day service extension on news websites or from loved ones.

The botched notification effort by the Defense Department prompted 39 Iowa senators to sign a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates demanding hardship pay and an explanation for why the public and the media were notified of an extension before the affected troops.

The lengthened stay came after the Bush administration's call for an increased number of troops to serve in Iraq.

In the letter, Iowa officials called for an extra $1,000 worth of monthly pay and a retooling of the Guard's payment system to include a salary increase if soldiers are kept in service for more than a year. The proposed structure mirrors that of active soldiers who are not in the Guard.

In addition, the letter demanded funding and resources for families, employers, and home communities of the reservists who had their tour extended.

The senators pointed to the Alaska 172nd Stryker Brigade to justify the pay increase. The Alaska Guard unit had its tours extended by four months and received hardship pay, according to the senators' letter.

Iowa Sen. Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville, said the purpose of the letter was to increase the amount of aid Guard troops receive, making it comparable with active personnel.

Dvorsky added that Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, was in favor of supporting increased services for the troops stationed overseas.

The senators' letter also demanded a 90-day reintegration program for troops, which would help them adjust to civilian life via "allowances, training resources, and contracted support." In addition, officials called for social services, such as counseling, for families of Guard troops.

"It seems as if there are a lot of programs that go to the active soldiers and not the Guard," Dvorsky said on Tuesday.

Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood, an Iowa National Guard spokesman, said it was not the responsibility of the Iowa Guard to notify troops about their extensions because they were no longer under the Guard's command. Hapgood did say, however, that the Iowa National Guard notified the families of the 133rd, who then conveyed the news to their loved ones in Iraq.

While some of the senators did not have direct contact with families of the 133rd, most knew Rep. Ray Zirkelbach, D-Monticello, who is serving in Iraq and has been affected by the extension.

"You're certainly disappointed at first, but as a solider, you're stoic and you finish your mission," Hapgood said.

While he said he was "extremely appreciative" of the support state officials have given the Guard via the letter, he said he had no comment on whether the Guard supported the letter's proposed measures.

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