Give Reservists Old Jobs, Bush Urges Bosses

President Bush urged government agencies and private sector employers on Friday to “do everything possible” to ease the return to civilian life of reservists and members of the National Guard who served on active duty during the Persian Gulf War.

Under federal law, the returning soldiers are entitled to the jobs they left when called up for military service, or to equivalent positions.

In a memorandum addressed to federal government executives, Bush cited the government’s role as a model for private employers and called on federal agencies and departments to restore civilian employees returning from military duty “to the same jobs they left.”

“The legal flexibility of placement in equivalent jobs should be used only when absolutely necessary,” Bush said.

He also said that the troops “should be afforded five days of excused absence from their duties, without charge to leave,” and that those who became eligible to retire while in the Gulf “may do so without returning to their civilian employment.”

He directed the Office of Personnel Management to make federal civilian jobs available to the greatest extent possible to returning veterans, “particularly those who have become disabled as a result of their military service.”

The President also sent a message to Congress announcing the easing of controls on Kuwaiti assets imposed after Iraq occupied Kuwait on Aug. 2. The assets had been frozen, at Kuwait’s request, to protect them from seizure by Iraq.