R&R Program funds more travel, fewer flights

Army News Service ^ | Jan. 9, 2004

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

 

R&R Program funds more travel, fewer flights

By Spc. Lorie Jewell

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Army News Service, Jan. 9, 2004) – Soldiers coming home on rest and recuperation leave will now have their travel expenses covered to the airport closest to their R&R destination.

The policy change came with the Dec. 19 approval to fund the onward travel program by Charles Abell, principal deputy, under secretary of defense for Personnel & Readiness. Congress recommended spending $55 million of the Army’s Operation and Maintenance funds to cover the cost of expanding the program, according to a Department of Defense news release.

Until now, service members and DoD civilians participating in the R&R program received free transportation from Kuwait City to Rhein Main Air Base in Germany, Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport or Atlanta International Airport. From there, they had to cover any remaining airline travel expenses.

Now, the program will cover the cost of travel from BWI to a commercial airport closest to their leave destination, said Col. Paris Mack, chief of the R&R leave program task force.

As of Jan. 1, Soldiers make travel arrangements and receive airline tickets to their final R&R destination at the travel office in Kuwait, said Mack. Those who paid for airline tickets between Dec. 19 and Jan. 1 can get the cost reimbursed on the travel voucher they submit upon their return to Kuwait from R&R leave, Mack said.

While the program is expanding in the area of onward travel, it is paring back on the number of debarkation ports. When the program kicked off in September, Soldiers were flown either to Germany or BWI. In November, Dallas and Atlanta airports were added to the program. Those two airports will no longer be used as debarkation ports, Mack said.

“With the way units are rotating now, there aren’t as many people eligible to participate in the program, so we don’t need as many ports,” said Mack.

Future plans are to add Dallas and Atlanta back to the program as of June 1, and possibly Los Angelas at some point after that, Mack added.

To be eligible for the R&R program, a Soldier must have served at least three months but no more than 11 months in theater.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Army News Service, Jan. 9, 2004) – Soldiers coming home on rest and recuperation leave will now have their travel expenses covered to the airport closest to their R&R destination.

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Fyi, R&R travel expense rule changes.

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[blackie]

R&R Program funds more travel, fewer flights ~ Bump!

[mystery-ak]

Well, this pisses me off...R&R started in Oct...why no reimbursment to those soldiers from Oct to Dec....

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

The policy change came with the Dec. 19 approval to fund the onward travel program by Charles Abell, principal deputy, under secretary of defense for Personnel & Readiness.

That needs correcting.

Delta (and co.) started Operation Hero Miles before the DoD started paying R&R expenses.

Mike shouldn't be punished for being in a war zone longer than those who qualified for the later free travel expenses. Stay tuned...I'll keep my eyes open, too.

[mystery-ak]

Mike took his R&R the first week of Nov...being a 1sgt(who approves the list) he could have taken it anytime...but he gave all the holidays to young family men...this is the thanks he gets!

[mystery-ak]

Mike took his R&R the first week of Nov...being a 1sgt(who approves the list) he could have taken it anytime...but he gave all the holidays to young family men...this is the thanks he gets!

[mystery-ak]

sorry for the double post...

This isn't just about Mike...Since R&R started in Oct...thousands of others took their leave from Oct to Dec 19th...in fact his Chinook that was shot down was full of troopers headed for R&R.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

I understand. Speak up, m-a. Do you have a local military support group or Veterans group brave and caring enough to intercede with the DoD on behalf of military families?

[mystery-ak]

No, our family support system is pathetic,we are all on our own.

[McGavin999]

Oh good, one of my boys got a fairly low lottery number and he thought it might mean coming home in January. This will be a big relief for him.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Oh, N., you are not on your own. We aren't down the street, but you don't have to change out of your pajamas to talk, and these machines are pretty handy for rallying homefront Freepers, and for contacting support groups. (^:

You are in daily prayers, too!

CENTCOM and CJTF7 haven't put out any news releases yet today, which means I have extra time to scout out the net, maybe find a few other curious and disgruntled warriors with pre-Dec. 19 R&R.

I'll be back!

[mike1sg]

Good evening ladies, sounds like we are a little upset, we just saw this policy yesterday. I have no idea why they always seem to pick some arbitrary date when they do this. Everybody should write their congress person. It was still worth the price of the ticket to get to go home. I can afford it, but many of the others can't and should be re-imbursed.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you for stopping by, 1 Sg Mike. You know we get fiercely defensive on behalf of loved ones who are defending our freedom, and who's "boss" (the DoD) is sometimes too big, and clumsy to see that it's stepping on our warriors. (^:

N., answer your ping!

[mystery-ak]

DICK Durbin is a waste of time...Im calling Ray LaHood's office monday...he's helped me before, at least I'll get an answer from him.

I was just wondering, after reading this again...could the Oct to Dec 19th reimbursement's be coming from other monies in the DOD?...

[mike1sg]

The reason they are getting tight fisted is in the article, the army was directed to take the funds out of their operating budget, they would gladly pay everybody back if they were given NEW money to do it.

[mystery-ak]

Well, that makes sense..NOT!...why single out a few thousand and the rest get nothing!

[mike1sg]

There you go, trying to make sense out of something, they do this all the time. They just did it to a bunch of people who re-enlisted for a supposed bonus, and found out the bonus had a time frame, not happy campers.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!