Rounds Joins Effort to Give Military Retirees the Honor They Deserve

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs and Armed Services Committees, today signed onto legislation to honor as veterans, National Guard and Reserve retirees who served honorably for a minimum of 20 years but do not meet the active duty service requirement to qualify them as veterans under existing law. The bipartisan, bicameral Honor America’s Guard-Reserve Act of 2015 was introduced earlier this year by Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.).

“National Guard and Reserve members who have selflessly served in the defense of our nation deserve to be honored for their service,” said Rounds. “These men and women took an oath to defend our nation at any cost and stood ready to deploy to fulfill that oath at a moment’s notice. Giving them that recognition is the least we can do.”

Current law defines a veteran as servicemen and women who have served on active duty. This legislation would amend this definition and allow these Guard and Reserve retirees to be recognized as a veteran. Some retired National Guard and Reserve members did not serve on active duty and therefore, despite having devoted a portion of their lives to our national defense, are not recognized as veterans. Because no additional benefits beyond the title of veteran are extended to these retirees, there is no cost associated with this legislation.

This legislation is supported by the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) and the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS). The House of Representatives passed similar legislation last Congress.