May 5, 2004                                           Contact: Erin Rath (GREGG)
                                                                        Barbara Riley (SUNUNU)
                                                                                        Lee Ross (BASS)
                                                                      T.J. Crawford (BRADLEY)

NEW HAMPSHIRE DELEGATION CALLS ON ARMY TO SPECIFY DEMOBILIZATION DATE FOR 94TH MILITARY POLICE COMPANY

       WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Judd Gregg and John Sununu, and Congressmen Charles Bass and Jeb Bradley recently called on Acting Secretary of the Army Les Brownlee to specify the exact date for the extension of duty for the 94th Military Police Company, based in Londonderry, NH.

       The New Hampshire delegation joined Congressional delegation members from Maine and Massachusetts in contacting the Acting Secretary of the Army. Their letter stated, “It has come to our attention that the 94th Military Police Company, a reservist unit of soldiers from the New England area, has had great difficulty in obtaining the official dates of its extension of duty in Iraq.

       “The 94th MP Company was activated on December 5, 2002 and has been on duty in Iraq since April of 2003. These soldiers were originally scheduled to return to the United States in November of 2003. Their orders were initially extended another six months until April 2004. This month, as they were preparing to return home, their orders were frozen pending new orders. The members of the 94th were notified that their orders were extended for up to 120 days, in addition to their previous six-month extension.

       “Since this notification, members of the 94th have been unable to ascertain when this second extension will both begin and end. These reservists were mobilized under 10 USC §12302, which prohibits reservists from serving on active duty for longer than two consecutive years. Thus, these soldiers must be home and demobilized by December 5th, 2004.

       “It has been suggested that the 120-day extension does not begin until June 22, 2004. If accurate, these soldiers will not depart from Iraq until October 22, 2004. This late departure date may not give the 94th adequate time to demobilize before December 5th , 2004.

       “We respectfully request that you clarify the dates of the 94th Military Police Company’s extension of duty, both for its stay in Iraq, and its demobilization date.”

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