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Troops get free trip home from Iraq

Army News Service

Release Date: 9/25/2003

By Beau Whittington

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Sept. 25, 2003) - Passengers at BWI Airport in Baltimore will get a bird's eye view of desert battle dress Sept. 25 when the first wave of service members lands for a two-week break from the stress of front-line duty in Iraq.

The passengers on the World Airlines flight will be the first group benefiting from an Operation Iraqi Freedom "Rest and Recuperation" Leave Program approved by Under Secretary of Defense David S. C. Chu Sept. 23.

Under the program, service members and DoD civilians serving 12-month tours in hostile fire or imminent danger pay areas can qualify for 15 days of chargeable leave and a free flight to either Germany or the United States. Troops become eligible for the respite once they have boots on the ground for 89 days, but leave must be taken prior to the 11th month of their tour.

"The program enables our service members to get away from the stresses associated with their missions and to focus on family and friends," said Lt. Col. Lorelei Coplen, Army G-1 spokeswoman for the program. "We see this as an investment in our force's quality of life that will actually improve readiness."

Not all soldiers currently serving in the area will be able to take advantage of the home leave, warned Central Command officials. While commanders will work to schedule service members for leaves, mission requirements and flight limitations will reduce the number of people who can qualify.

"Troops will qualify on a first-in first-out basis, said Walt Wood, Army G-1 point man for the program.

The average time in Iraq for the first wave of leave takers is seven months, said Wood.

Early on, one flight a day will carry 270 troops from Kuwait City to Baltimore. The flight will stop at Rhein Main Air Base in Frankfurt, Germany, for refueling. Passengers who wish can depart the flight there for their leave.

"The leave clock begins ticking at midnight the day troops get off their flight and stops when they signed back in for a return flight," Coplen said. "We don't want to charge leave to anyone who may have to wait for delayed flights."

Program officials are already looking at ways to extend the program, Wood explained.

"We are trying to add more entry ports in the continental U.S. to provide more equity to the soldiers," he said. "We want to get them closer to home."

One the first expansions Wood would like to see is the Dallas Fort Worth Regional Airport. He said the site is closer to the areas where the largest number of troops deployed from. The goal in adding more destinations is to save the troops time and money. Other points authorized by Chu include Atlanta and Los Angelos.

Wood said long-range plans call for as many as three flights a day supporting 650 troops.

Three commercial carriers have also jumped into help save money for R&R takers who want to continue home from their port of entry. They are offering troops on the program non-restricted tickets in case they need to make a change in flight plans without paying extra charges. Coplen said four more carriers have shown and interest in the program and she believes more will offer deals in the future.