The nation’s laws rightly protect the civilian jobs of reserve soldiers and sailors and National Guardsmen who go overseas to fight this nation’s wars.
But the Iraq war has taken these citizen soldiers away from their civilian lives for much longer periods than had been experienced in the past, and small business owners are struggling to fill in the gaps.
The problem is especially acute in cases in which the absent owner is the only or key worker, and his or her absence requires the business to, in effect, go on hiatus.
Many customers happily bring their business back to the returning reservist. But rebuilding a customer base is still a key challenge. Luckily, the U.S. Small Business Administration and other governmental agencies provide tools to ease the transition.
Relief is also available for families left behind who are struggling to get by on greatly reduced income for extended periods of time. The federal Reserve Income Replacement Program was put in place last summer, and it can pay up to $3,000 per month to make up the difference between pre-deployment income and what the military is paying while on active duty. Rhode Island has two relief funds for emergencies as well.
This is all good news during these difficult times for the nation’s military families. But too many who qualify have not taken advantage, in part because they don’t know the services are available. It is up to the relief agencies to do a better job reaching out to the families of those who are sacrificing so much.
