Senate Approves Gregg Language To Aid Military Families Included In Defense Conference Report

U.S. Senator Judd Gregg today announced that language from three amendments he authored to protect and provide for military parents and their children was included in the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization conference report. The Senate passed the conference report late Friday, and it now heads to the President’s desk for his signature.

The language contained in the conference report will collectively help safeguard the interests of military families when called up for deployment. The first section directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study to determine the most effective means to improve support programs for families of deployed members of the Armed Forces. The second section ensures that the parental interests of service members are fully protected during child custody hearings for their children, even though the service member may be deployed overseas at the time of a hearing. The third section ensures that a single parent or dual military couple with minor dependents, when called up for deployment, may request a deferment of deployment due to unforeseen circumstances. It also helps ensure that adequate family care plans are in place for servicemembers who may be deployed.

Senator Gregg stated, “The brave men and women who volunteer to serve our country deserve a debt of gratitude for their service and the assurance that their own families will always come first. It is critical that we work to ensure the safety and well-being of military children, parents and families. This language will improve our quality of life policies for service members so they are more family-friendly and help those who keep us safe.”

Major General Kenneth Clark, New Hampshire National Guard, stated, “As our first President George Washington wrote, ‘The willingness of future generations to serve in our military will be directly dependent upon how we have treated those who have served in the past.’ This has never been more true than in today's all volunteer military. The provisions that Senator Gregg and the Congress have included in this bill further that commitment to insure that those who carry the nation’s flag, and their families, will be forever cared for by a grateful nation.”