House Passes Ruppersberger’s Legislation to Help Maryland National Guard Members in Egypt

The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation written and introduced by Congressman C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger to help Maryland’s National Guard soldiers now serving in Egypt come home and visit their families during leave.

The legislation, in the form of an amendment to the FY 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, passed in a 322-96 vote. Ruppersberger first discussed the proposed legislation at a press conference at the SGM Jerome Grollman Armory , surrounded by supportive local families with loved ones recently deployed to the Sinai Peninsula.

“Never in my experience have I seen legislation go from introduction to passage so quickly, and that is a testament to the bipartisan nature of my amendment. This is the way Congress is supposed to work,” Ruppersberger said in a statement Thursday afternoon. “Today, we have sent a message to the citizen soldiers of the National Guard serving everywhere that we appreciate their sacrifices and the sacrifices of their families.”

About 440 Maryland Army National Guard Soldiers from around the state have been deployed to the Sinai Peninsula for one year, including 130 from the 1st Battalion 175th Infantry Regiment headquarters at the North Point Boulevard armory. The 1st Battalion 175th Infantry Regiment includes units from Frederick, Silver Spring/White Oak, Towson and Elkton.

The National Guard has been working to maintain the Camp David peace treaty between Egypt and Israel as part of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO).

“We have to remember the families, too, not just the men and women that are serving,” Ruppersberger, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said at the press conference in Dundalk earlier this month.

Under current law, members of the MFO in the Sinai are not eligible for the military’s rest and recuperation benefits. This means Maryland’s soldiers must pay their own way home for leave and even family emergencies.

Currently, the program includes 17 countries. Adding Egypt would make deployments to the nation permanently part of the program.

The NDAA must now pass the U.S. Senate before it can be signed into law by the president.

The peacekeeping mission on the Sinai has been ongoing for 30 years, but was assigned to the National Guard in 2002. The Maryland National Guard soldiers are manning remote observation posts and checkpoints throughout the peninsula.

For some members, this is a second, third or fourth tour of duty overseas.