Bills aim to ease burden
of military members

Proposed measures would
benefit military families,
personnel and employers

Since the March 2003 start of the war in Iraq, the state's top man for defense says he's seen a noticeable change in the way young men and women are recruited to military service.

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Recruiters have had to make twice the number of phone calls and personal visits they used to, while parents, who in the past had left the decision completely to their child, "are immensely involved in this youngster's decision," Maj. Gen. Robert Lee told lawmakers this week.

That's the main reason Lee, Gov. Linda Lingle's defense director, has supported virtually all of the bills introduced in the Legislature this year aimed at helping Hawaii's military personnel.

In some cases, his support has opposed that of the Lingle administration, which testified against many of the tax credits, exemptions and appropriations proposed by majority Democrats, citing the potential costs to the state.

"In my discussions with the representatives and senators that introduced them, I told them I would support them because they would all help the bottom line," Lee said. "From my perspective, I welcome any measures that will help me in my job to recruit and retain the soldiers and the airmen that we currently have in our organizations.

"As taxpayers, we really have made a tremendous investment in their training and can't have them go through the revolving door and go out after a couple years."

Lawmakers and Lingle introduced 71 bills aimed at helping military personnel, their families, their employers and others directly affected by the recent deployments.

"General Lee obviously supports a lot of these measures and the Legislature, which is predominately Democrat, supports a lot of these measures, so I don't think it's a bipartisan thing," said Sen. Shan Tsutsui (D, Wailuku-Kahului). "I think it's all of us trying to really show our support for our troops."

Military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan include about 12,000 soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division (Light) at Schofield Barracks. The majority of those soldiers were deployed last year, with most scheduled to return at various times this year.

About 2,200 members of the Hawaii Army National Guard's 29th Infantry Brigade left this month to provide security at U.S. installations in Iraq and Kuwait. The mobilization of citizen soldiers from Hawaii and the Pacific rim is the largest call-up of the Army National Guard unit since the Vietnam War.

About 2,000 Marines from Kaneohe also are in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tsutsui, vice chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said legislators would be meeting in the coming days to see which proposals were agreeable to both chambers.

Most of Lingle's bills have been shelved in favor of proposals introduced by Democrats.

House Vice Speaker K. Mark Takai, a captain in the Hawaii Army National Guard, said this year's package of bills is aimed at continuing some of the aid to military personnel that lawmakers passed last year.

"I don't think that we'll see all of them pass, but even if we pass one or maybe two measures in the package, that's success," said Takai (D, Newtown-Pearl City).

Measures passed last year included one to increase the allowable income tax exemption for National Guard members and reservists over five years beginning this year. Lawmakers also passed a measure creating a military liaison position within the Department of Education.

Rep. Ken Ito, a retired Air Force airman, acknowledged that lawmakers might not even be addressing these issues if not for the current round of deployments.

"Because of this war in Iraq and Afghanistan, it really hit home in Hawaii what this war is all about," said Ito (D, Heeia-Kaneohe).