Iowa becomes first state to be '10 for 10' in soldier quality-of-life

State lawmakers on Wednesday made Iowa the first state to enact all 10 of the U.S. Defense Department's quality-of-life measures for soldiers and families of service members.

“We're 10 for 10,” said Sen. Steve Warnstadt, D-Sioux City, a colonel in the Iowa National Guard who announced plans to retire as a lawmaker when his current term expires later this year.

“In some manner, shape or form, we address all 10 of the issues that the Department of Defense has requested states to take action on,” Warnstadt said after senators voted 50-0 to send Gov. Chet Culver new protections in Senate File 2297 dealing with utility shutoffs, weapons permits and other issues that might arise during or after a military deployment.

The list of soldier-friendly bills approved by lawmakers or already signed by Culver deal with jobless compensation for trailing spouses, child custody and visitation matters during deployment separations, absentee voting, access to child care for military families, and certain support benefits for National Guard and reserve members and their families.

“Tremendous” was the way Warnstadt described the 2010 Legislature's work product on issues important to soldiers, veterans and their families at a time when many Iowans are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and another 3,500 soldiers are slated for deployment this year.

“This really is a historic session in terms of protection for Guard, reserves and veterans,” he said. “Iowa is demonstrably ahead of the rest of the nation when it comes to legal protections and benefits for members of the military and for veterans.

Warnstadt shot down criticism that the stockpile of military-related bills represent political pandering in an election year, noting that some of the work has spanned four years and were initiatives that span the Bush and Obama administrations.

“When we're doing the things that the Department of Defense has determined to be necessary for the readiness of our military in a time of two wars, I think we're doing what needs to be done and I'm disappointed that some would view those things that are necessary as pandering,” he said. “It's not an abstract concept to people. It is a very real, tangible demonstration of support for our troops.”