Dave Reichert: “I too am proud to be a part of today's process and ensuring that our National Guardsmen and -women and Reservists are…”

“I too am proud to be a part of today's process and ensuring that our National Guardsmen and -women and Reservists are respected and we are showing them that we have listened to their concerns. I have served in the Air Force Reserves, and I will not tell you how long ago that exactly was. But let us just say that my pay at that time was as a police officer around $700 to $800 a month. So it was awhile ago. When I was on duty as a Reservist, I took a pay cut. And that was a cut from $700 a month. So you can imagine that it was a little bit hard to keep your family supported during that period of time. And I know what it is like to be a Reservist. I had a financial responsibility. I had employment issues. And it is not easy to juggle those weighty concerns while preparing to serve your country or as soon as you return. When I was sheriff of King County, we developed a standard to support our employees who were also Reserve soldiers. Their jobs were guaranteed no matter what length of time they served or how long their tour of duty was. The soldiers knew that when they came back they had a job, they had employment, and that they were supported 100 percent. Men and women serving our country should be praised, not punished for being guardians of our Flag. During the last recess, I had the honor of sitting down with 20 National Guard soldiers who had just returned from Iraq. In the 2 hours I spent with them, we discussed a number of concerns.…”