Mitch Landrieu: “There is something unsettling to a man on the front line, some active and some Reserve, when both are driving in a truck…”

“There is something unsettling to a man on the front line, some active and some Reserve, when both are driving in a truck in Iraq, that they should get the same paycheck. They both should get $30,000 no matter what. No matter if the reservist makes $70,000 in the United States in their regular work, when they drive the truck in Iraq they should make $30,000. I don't hold to that position. I will tell you why. Our Government benefits significantly financially, and the taxpayers benefit by not having to keep that Guard and Reserve full time, 24-7, year after year after year. We benefit as taxpayers, so we have more money to give out in tax cuts to everybody else. We benefit by not having to keep a force. We have 1.6 million Active-Duty, and we have 1.2 million Guard and Reserve who are now 40 percent of our force and growing every day. Our Active Forces are down at the lowest level since 1941.”