Comment on FR Doc # E9-20610

To Whom It May Concern, As a current civilian government employee at an Agency within Health and Human Services and an active member of the Air National Guard, I applaud the proposed rules. However I wish to make an additional comment to the proposed rule. As an active Guardsman, we are by statute not able to utilize our sick time in support of contigency operations or Title 10 active duty. Thus although we are authorized to utilize our military leave and annual leave for title 10 active duty in support of contingency operations, we are prevented from using our accrued sick leave for such duty. I sincerely hope that OPM will entertain and allow civilian federal government employees Guardsmen and Reservists who are deployed on Title 10 orders in support of a contigency operation to utilize some (perhaps up to 104 hours) of their accrued sick time for such duty. Thank you for allowing me to comment on this proposed rule. Please feel free to contact me should you have any comments or concerns. Very Respectfully, Mark Ritter, MD RPh Medical Officer, FDA Capt, DCANG, MC, FS