Five Fire/Military/Veterans Measures Advanced
HARRISBURG – The Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee this week unanimously approved Col. Brett J. Gagnon (PA Army National Guard), Col. Robert S. Noren (PA Air National Guard), Col. Brad W. Pierson (PA Army National Guard) and Col. John M. Wenzel (PA Army National Guard) with a favorable recommendation to be promoted to Brigadier General, according to its majority chairman, Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33).
Col. Gagnon, originally from Wisconsin, transferred to the PA National Guard in 2000. He is a veteran of operations Iraqi Freedom and Spartan Shield in Kuwait and assisted with Hurricane Katrina Relief in Louisiana. He lives in Berks County and serves as chief adviser to the adjutant general on information systems management. As a citizen soldier, Gagnon is the senior vice president and enterprise architect in the strategy and innovation enablement office for a banking institution.
Col. Noren, a resident of Lebanon County, was commissioned into the Air Force in 1993. He is a master navigator, having flown more than 50 combat missions and deployed in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, OEF-Horn of Africa, and Plan Columbia. He is the commander of the 193rd Special Operations Wing in Middletown, where he commands more than 1,900 airman across three locations.
Col. Pierson, born and raised in Clinton County, enlisted in the PA National Guard in 1999. He served overseas in operations Joint Force (Bosnia), Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and Joint Guardian (Kosovo), and stateside on the southwest border. His current assignment is chief of joint staff, where he manages the joint military operations. As a citizen-soldier, he had a career as a state police trooper.
Col. Wenzel, born and raised in California, was commissioned into the U.S. Army after attending Villanova University. He has served overseas in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and currently heads the 166th Regiment at the Regional Training Institute (RTI) at Fort Indiantown Gap, which has been ranked first out of 84 RTIs nationwide.
“All told, these four officers have a combined 115 years of service to our National Guard,” said Mastriano. “I am grateful for their service to our commonwealth and nation. I would also like to thank their families for the sacrifices they have made – for all the drill weekends while they were away, the overseas deployments and for being called upon to respond to state emergency declarations. Each will be entrusted with the rank of brigadier general. I am looking forward to working with each to ensure that Pennsylvania continues to have the best guard in the nation.”
Additionally, the committee unanimously reported the following measures:
Senate Resolution 116, sponsored by Mastriano, calls on Congress to take up the federal “Major Richard Star Act,” House Resolution 2102.
“The federal legislation is named for Maj. Richard Star, who died in 2021 from lung cancer linked to burn pit exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Mastriano. “He was forced to retire short of the 20 years needed to collect his full retirement and disability benefits. HR 2021 would change existing federal law to allow medically retired veterans with less than 20 years of service and combat-related disabilities to receive full military retirement pay and VA disability compensation concurrently. I was pleased to introduce Senate Resolution 116 on behalf of the Pennsylvania War Veterans Council who brought it to my attention.”
House Bill 304, sponsored by Rep. Melissa Ceratto (D-151), is modeled after the federal Korean American Vietnam Allies Long Overdue for Relief Act (VALOR Act). It would afford any Pennsylvania resident who is an American citizen, was an active-duty member of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces in the Vietnam War between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, and received an honorable discharge or equivalent discharge from military service the same rights and state benefits as their American military veteran counterparts.
“It is important that we recognize the Korean Army veterans who fought in the Vietnam War alongside the United States and are now residing in Pennsylvania,” said Mastriano. “This legislation will do just that.”
House Bill 797, sponsored by Rep. Jessica Benham (D-36), would remove the provision in the Second-Class City Firemen Relief Law barring spouses from remarrying.
“I am pleased to support the removal of this outdated provision,” said Mastriano. “It is absurd to force spouses of deceased firefighters to choose between continuing to receive a pension and remarrying.”
House Bill 799, sponsored by Rep. Daniel Deasy (D-27), would require the posting of essential veterans benefit legislation in workplaces.
“Too often, veterans are unaware of the benefits they have earned,” said Mastriano. “It is important that we find ways to communicate such information to them.”
House Bill 865, sponsored by Rep. Arvind Venkat (D-30), would ensure that PA National Guard Members can receive either the Educational Assistant Program or Military Family Education Program benefit each time they re-enlist.
“Pennsylvania has long led the way in terms of offering educational benefits to our guardsmen and their families,” said Mastriano. “With this legislation and the amendment I offered in committee, we will provide one more reason for our guard members to stay. Their leadership is invaluable to the nation’s third largest guard.”
The four bills, resolution and four officers’ nominations now proceed to the full Senate for consideration.
To view the full committee meeting, click HERE.
Constituents of the 33rd Senatorial District can learn more about Mastriano by visiting his website or following him on Facebook.
CONTACT: Nate Silcox, 717-787-4651