Active duty a financial boost

A new study shows that National Guard and reserve troops earn more in uniform than as civilians while a bill before the 2006 Legislature calls for increased benefits for Guard members.

In a study commissioned by the Department of Defense, the Rand Corp. reported that 72 percent of more than 100,000 troops surveyed had an earnings increase of 25 percent when called into active duty.

That finding runs contrary to a 2004 study that found more than half of reserve and Guard troops had an earnings loss while on active duty, according to an American Forces Press Service report on Thursday.

The most recent Rand study also showed that 28 percent of reservists lost pay after being called to active duty, according to the Press Service.

The gap, however, between military and civilian pay appears to be closing because of recent increases in military pay and benefits for service members along with bonuses for enlisting and re-enlisting, the Press Service reported.

The new numbers on higher pay for active-duty Guard members are different from the perception that most soldiers who are called up take pay cuts, according to Maj. Hank McIntire, spokesman for the Utah National Guard.

"What it could be is that those who do make less money, perhaps they're more vocal about it," McIntire said.

McIntire said he has seen evidence of better pay, with up to $15,000 bonuses for those who re-enlist, which can mean a commitment to the Guard for three to six more years. He is also seeing "unprecedented" support for soldiers these days, including from state lawmakers.

Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, has a bill that would create a "utility allowance" of $200 per month for families of National Guard members who are called to active duty. Passage of the bill would also mean college tuition waivers and a $500,000 lump sum payment for families of Guard members killed in action.

"It's not a Guard member poverty bill as much as it is a bill to recognize their service and sacrifice," Hughes said.

His bill has not been voted on by a committee yet and there still is no fiscal note, which Hughes said might be difficult for analysts to predict because, like so many other benefits offered to members of the military, the added benefits with his bill may go unnoticed by most.

Hughes said his bill may end up asking utility companies to waive bills for active Guard members in exchange for tax credits.

Another bill working its way through the Legislature would offer in-state tuition benefits for those in the military who serve for years out of the country.

McIntire added that the military income for those deployed overseas is not taxed, adding another benefit to active duty.

He and Hughes said in separate interviews that military pay is only one aspect of deployment. Not necessarily quantifiable, they said, is the impact on spouses, mothers and fathers being separated from their families for extended periods.

Hughes also noted that he filed his bill on behalf of veterans and Guard advocates and not the Utah National Guard.

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com