SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING PRIORITY FOR DEMOBILIZATION OF RESERVE FORCES CALLED OR ORDERED TO ACTIVE DUTY IN CONNECTION WITH A CONTINGENCY OPERATION.

SEC. 555. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING PRIORITY FOR DEMOBILIZATION OF RESERVE FORCES CALLED OR ORDERED TO ACTIVE DUTY IN CONNECTION WITH A CONTINGENCY OPERATION. (a) Findings.—Congress finds that the Department of Defense— (1) was not sufficiently sensitive to the sacrifices made by reservists called or ordered to active duty in connection with the Persian Gulf conflict and by the families, employers, and communities of those reservists; and (2) did not give adequate priority to the redeployment and demobilization of reserve forces called or ordered to active duty in connection with the conflict. (b) Sense of Congress.—It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense— (1) should examine the redeployment policy used during the Persian Gulf conflict with a view toward developing a policy for future contingencies that would expedite the return of reserve units activated or deployed during the contingency at the earliest opportunity consistent with mission requirements; and (2) in the case of any future contingency operation, should to the maximum extent possible following termination of the conditions that gave rise to the contingency operation expeditiously shift the missions assigned to those reserve units activated for the purpose of the contingency operation to active duty units, to Federal civilians, or to contractors.