by Erich Wagner

Advocacy groups urged a Senate panel last week to move forward with legislation to provide benefits parity between active duty soldiers and reservists deployed for disasters or overseas mission support.

Under Title 10, Section 12304b of the U.S. Code, reservists can be deployed overseas for a “preplanned mission in support of a combatant command.” The new order was intended to provide Defense Department officials with greater flexibility to mobilize members of the National Guard and other reserve units.