Reservists concerned about tax refunds, leave benefits

Iraq-bound CNMI reservists are concerned about their tax refunds and leave benefits, according to Gov. Juan N. Babauta.

Babauta said the reservists raised those issues during their meeting at Fort Polk, Louisiana last Friday.

“Those are the things that we talked about. They are concerned about their tax refunds, about their military leave,” the governor said.

He also said three reservists expressed alarm over the alleged denial of their military leave by their employer, the Public School System.

“This is an issue that needs clarification from PSS,” said the governor.

When reached yesterday, acting Gov. Diego T. Benavente said that the government is ready to prioritize the release of tax rebates for the reservists. He said some family members of the reservists have asked for such action.

“Were considering all requests made. Definitely, we’d prioritize [them] as they turn in their requests,” he said.

Benavente’s office facilitates the requests for urgent release of tax rebates and refunds from individuals in emergency situations.

Babauta reported last week that the reservists have been granted a 15-day federal leave, entitling them to receive federal paychecks.

Babauta, who attended President Bush’s inauguration in Washington D.C. last week, flew to Louisiana to meet with the CNMI reservists.

The reservists, who belong to the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Armed Forces, are expected to be deployed to Iraq beginning this week.

Meantime, local lawmakers have begun efforts to grant the reservists additional benefits while on active duty.

The House of Representatives adopted a joint resolution last year pushing for the granting of administrative leave to the military reservists when their accrued annual leave is exhausted. It said that such move would be important since members of the CNMI Army Reserve “have existing financial obligations.”

“It is our obligation to accord our service members safeguards, assistance, and protection to give them the peace of mind to focus on their tasks at hand,” the resolution said.

Most of the CNMI reservists received deployment orders of up to 18 months, including a six-month intensive training, which began in August last year.

The House also passed a bill allowing the CNMI reservists in active duty to receive one-half of their salary once their military and accrued annual leaves are exhausted.

House Bill 14-218, introduced by Rep. Claudio Norita, aims to provide “a sense of security for reservists who have recently been called upon to serve our country and for their family members.”

The bill covers both government and private sector-employed reservists.