U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis helped introduce a bill in the Senate that would help National Guard members save on travel expenses incurred for training.
 
Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced the legislation Wednesday, Tillis' office said in a news release.
 
North Carolina has about 12,000 National Guard members. Many must travel to complete their required duty training, and they typically pay for that travel themselves, Tillis' office said.
 
Members can only claim that mileage and other travel expenses on their taxes if they had to travel more than 100 miles from their residence for training or if travel expenses exceeded 2 percent of their adjusted gross income, according to the release.
 
The "Savings for Servicemembers Act" would reduce the travel minimum to 50 miles. That would align treatment of the National Guard and Reservists with federal workers who have a 50-mile minimum for travel compensation, according to the release.
 
“In 2001, the first Army attack helicopter units to take the fight to al-Qaeda in Afghanistan were the soldiers of the 130th Aviation Regiment from Morrisville," Tillis said in a statement. "Our military heritage is long and proud, and many of our Guardsmen travel hundreds of miles to serve. This legislation helps level the playing field and removes a fundamental unfairness from the system.”

Read the article here.

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