Bush grants extra leave to returning military reservists

President Bush has ordered federal agencies to grant five days of uncharged leave to returning employees who were called to active duty in the armed services during recent military operations.

In a memorandum to agency heads, Bush said that civil servants in the reserve forces and the Army and Air National Guard had "earned my personal gratitude and the respect and admiration of a grateful nation."

The president is authorized to grant additional leave to federal reservists under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. He said he was doing so to make sure the federal government remained a "model employer" in terms of support for the Guard and Reserve.

Bush also told agency heads he was "grateful for the extra efforts of the many federal civilian employees who, in the absence of their fellow activated workers, have contributed to the war on terror, and I urge you to recognize these federal employees by appropriate means."