Help proposed for soldiers

The state Senate Military Affairs Committee advanced a series of bills to help lessen the financial burden on Hawaii's citizen-soldiers while they are deployed to the Middle East.

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Among the measures is a bill to reimburse Hawaii National Guard members for their air travel expenses to attend drills or other official duties.

Another measure passed by the committee on Friday would create a relief fund for families of guardsmen and reservists to help solve the financial problems caused by one or more family members deployed or put on active duty. The proposal would also establish a check-off program on state income tax forms to finance the fund.

Another bill would give a tax break to private employers who pay the difference between what deployed employees make at their civilian jobs and their military pay.

The tax credit would be set at 5 percent of the employee's salary, and capped at $1,000 per employee.

Maj. Gen. Robert Lee, the state adjutant general, said he has been trying to put in place a similar tax break on the federal level.

"They've been arguing that for five, six years," Lee said.

Right now, employers who go above and beyond to help their deployed workers get only a thank-you from the state and federal governments, Lee said.