August 2, 2007

 House Armed Services Committee Member U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted today in favor of legislation to improve military readiness and provide adequate time at home for service members and their families. Larsen cosponsored the Ensuring Military Readiness through Stability and Predictability Deployment Policy Act of 2007 (HR 3159), which would mandate minimum rest periods for active duty and reserve members of the Armed Forces between deployments to Operation Iraqi Freedom. The bill passed the House today by a vote of 229 to194.

“This bill strengthens our military readiness and supports our military families. The United States is sending men and women to Iraq in violation of the Defense Department’s own standards for rest, training and time at home. The women and men who serve our country in the military deserve better.  This bill would help make sure they get the time with their families they need and deserve between deployments to Iraq.”

The legislation requires that active duty service members be allowed to spend as much time at home as they spent in the war zone before being deployed again. National Guard and reserve personnel would be allowed three times as much time at home as they spent on their previous tour of duty before they could be sent back to Iraq.

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