Posted by
Ron Devito on Friday, July 24, 2009 11:32:27 PM
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin [on July 24, 2009] lauded the U.S. Senate’s
efforts to restore military retirement benefits to 26 Alaska
Territorial Guard (ATG) members. In a vote of 87 to 7, the Senate
adopted the ATG amendment into the $679.8 billion defense authorization
bill for FY2010. The amendment was offered by Senator Lisa Murkowski
and Senator Mark Begich (ATG, 2009, ¶1).
“I appreciate the work
our two Senators have done on this issue,” Governor Palin said. “The
members of the Alaska Territorial Guard served our state with honor.
They deserve to be justly compensated” (ATG, 2009, ¶2).
The ATG
was a military reserve force component of the U.S. Army, organized in
1942 in response to attacks on American soil in Hawaii and Alaska by
Japan during World War II. More than 6,000 people were recruited to
patrol Alaska’s coastland. Recruits were mostly Alaska Natives (ATG,
2009, ¶3).
The Department of Defense decided in January to
discontinue retirement benefits to ATG members, but temporarily
suspended its decision at the urging of Governor Palin and Alaska’s
congressional delegation. The Department of Defense continued paying
benefits through April. Governor Palin signed legislation in April
providing temporary retirement benefits to the 26 surviving members of
the ATG (ATG, 2009, ¶4).
Commentary
Governor
Palin has been an absolute guardian angel for ATG veterans (indeed
every soldier that has served under her command or who was based in an
Alaska military installation). This blog has chronicled her work in
this area (among many others) throughout 2009. Prior coverage of
Governor Palin's accomplishments as they relate to ATG is listed below,
and of course on the
Master List:
References
Governor commends Senate action on ATG benefits. (2009, July 24). State of Alaska, Governor. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from: http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1977