Ryan Nicol
U.S. Rep. Brian Mast has introduced a pair of bills aiming to increase benefits available to reserve physicians and chaplains as well as Foreign Service Officers (FSOs).
The first bill would allow reserve physicians and reserve chaplains to serve beyond the mandatory retirement age of 68.
Currently, active-duty physicians are allowed to serve past that time if they are “necessary for the needs of the military department concerned.” Mast’s bill would also allow that standard to be applied to reserve physicians and chaplains as well.
Second, Mast aims to expand access to temporary housing for FSOs on mandatory Home Leave Status. That housing would be provided by the Department of Defense.
FSOs operate under the Department of State to help implement U.S. foreign policy. They are required to take a period of home leave each year, but Mast says individuals’ housing circumstances aren’t always accounted for.
“Currently, Foreign Service Officers forced to take leave status upon returning to the United States are often left without any means of housing,” read a release from Mast’s office on his motivation for filing the legislation.
“It takes a special kind of person to put on the uniform and dedicate their life to serving our country,” Mast added.
“We shouldn’t have artificial barriers or needless bureaucracy getting in the way of those who want to serve. That’s what these bills are all about.”
One comment
joan mckniff
June 3, 2019 at 9:12 am
A retired FSO, whose parents passed away in first years of my career, leaving me “homeless” for Home Leave, I think this is a great idea. Kudos to Rep Mast for even being aware of this, let alone proposing a solution.
Comments are closed.