Congressman Tom Latham’s proposing legislation that would extend new benefits to Americans who’re serving in the Guard or Reserve. “My legislation is going to, I believe, help retain people in the Guard and the Reserve and certainly help as far as the quality of life,” Latham says. Latham wants to extend health care coverage to Guard and Reservists, for starters.”It is just wrong, I think, Guard and Reservists do not have health insurance provided for them (by the federal government),” Latham says. Latham says part-time federal workers get health care insurance, so should part-time soldiers. Forty percent of the Midwesterners who are serving in the Guard and Reserve do not have health insurance at all, according to Latham. Latham also proposes an incentive he hopes will keep younger people from dropping out of the Guard. For each two years of additional service beyond 20 years, they’d get an extra year of credit toward retirement. That means someone who came into the Guard at the age of 19, they could retire at age 53 rather than 60.