Duval Times

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Mark Warner have introduced a bipartisan bill to honor the brave men and women of Air America who provided support to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Southeast Asia between 1950 and 1976. The Air America Act of 2023 aims to recognize the contributions of these individuals and provide them with the benefits they deserve.

Air America employees played a crucial role in the U.S. war effort in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. They were involved in various operations, including rescuing the last Americans from the U.S. embassy in Saigon. Despite their invaluable service, these individuals did not receive full Federal retirement civil service benefits due to their ambiguous employee status at the time.

Senator Rubio expressed his pride in leading this bipartisan bill, stating, "The brave men and women of Air America deserve an immense token of appreciation for their service to our nation. I am proud to lead this bipartisan bill to ensure our fellow Americans who honorably served our great nation receive the recognition they deserve."

Senator Warner also emphasized the importance of recognizing the courage of Air Americans and providing them with well-earned benefits. He stated, "I'm proud to introduce this legislation to provide well-earned benefits and formally recognize the courage of Air Americans during the U.S. war effort in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. I hope the Senate will act quickly to do the right thing by those who courageously supported troops, rescued downed American pilots, and sustained casualties in the line of duty."

Senator John Cornyn, who joined Rubio and Warner in introducing the bill, highlighted the need to fairly compensate Air America employees for their service. He stated, "Air America employees deserve to be fairly compensated for their service to the nation during the Vietnam War. This legislation would ensure those who worked at Air America, which was government-owned and managed by the Central Intelligence Agency, receive the federal retirement benefits they're owed."

The Air America Act of 2023 (S.3047) aims to provide awards and benefits to Air America employees who did not receive full Federal retirement civil service benefits. It seeks to acknowledge their significant contributions and ensure that they are properly recognized for their service to the nation.

This bipartisan effort reflects a commitment to honoring the sacrifices and bravery of Air America employees. It is a step towards rectifying the oversight in providing them with the recognition and benefits they deserve.

For more information on the bill and the efforts to secure retirement benefits for Air America employees, refer to the May 2021 request made by Rubio, Warner, and Cornyn.

To find out more, go to this link: https://www.rubio.senate.gov/rubio-warner-introduce-bill-to-honor-air-america-employees/