My name is Adonis McShan-Teague, an U.S. Army Active Captain, juggling both my duty to my country and my passion for investing. My personal and military journey has led me to a couple rental units across multiple states within the United States, under the auspices of multiple single member Limited Liability Companies (LLC). These investments are an extension of my dedication to serve and support my fellow Americans. However, during multiple deployments overseas, I too have faced legal issues and lawsuits that added additional stressors due to the lack of protection for Active-Duty Soldiers that own LLCs. 

In the United States, single-operated LLCs owned by active-duty military personnel are not covered under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). These businesses are inalienable parts of their lives, yet they don't receive the same protections. In facts, according to a U.S. Small Business Administration report, more than 2.52 million businesses are majority-owned by veterans (SBA Office of Advocacy, 2020). Currently, SCRA does not extend its remit to businesses owned by service members, which makes them vulnerable to legal issues and financial loss during deployments and other requirements. 

More than 65% of active military personnel are engaged in some form of business outside their military responsibility, according to research by the Military Times (2016). For these service members, limited liability companies are often a route to sustain their economic growth while serving the nation. In many cases, owning and managing these businesses is crucial for their post-military lives. 

The SCRA was enacted to ease the economic and legal burdens on military personnel active in service. The SCRA protects individual service members by delaying, or in some cases, forgone civil obligations enabling them to focus on their military service. The purpose of the SCRA is to provide for the temporary suspension of judicial and administrative proceedings and transactions that may adversely affect the civil rights of servicemembers. Extending this to their owned single-operated LLCs is both logical and considerate gesture for their sacrifices. 

By incorporating certain SCRA benefits for single operated LLCs owned by service members, we can provide them protection from lawsuits and other legal issues during their active service. This will support their economic resilience and continue to bolster the entrepreneurial spirit in the military, benefiting both the individual service members and the broader American economy.

This oversight dismisses the role of small businesses in our economy and the importance of service members to their operations. We need to correct this by extending SCRA benefits to cover single-operated LLCs owned by active-duty military. Show your support for our servicemen and women by advocating for these protections. Please, sign this petition to extend certain benefits of SCRA to single-operated LLCs owned by service members, because their service shouldn't make their businesses suffer.