NORFOLK, Va. — Congresswoman Jen Kiggans has proposed a bill that would help Coast Guard members get retirement benefits and prevent them from being forced to retire early.
The bill would prevent Coast Guard members who have served for at least 18 years from being forced to retire before they get to 20 years. Twenty years is when they become eligible for retirement benefits.
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The bill also calls for Coast Guard members who are eligible for retirement benefits get the same benefits as the other branches of the military.
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“Our Coast Guard members, too, are playing a vital role these days in national security. We have so many of them in Hampton Roads," said Kiggans. "So, we’re always trying to advocate for them and be a voice for them. We’ve included them in the Pay Our Troops Act, so in the case of a government shutdown make sure not only our military but also our Coast Guard men and women would get paid."
The Coast Guard declined to comment on the bill because, as of Friday, it hadn’t become law.
