Posted on 11/08/2004 1:56:54 AM PST by kattracks
Operation Hero Miles was created by the US Airlines and Congressman Ruppersberger to meet the needs of our soldiers deployed overseas. It relies on the generosity of thousands of fliers who have donated over 540 million miles to help our soldiers.
Donations are currently being accepted from the following airlines: Delta, Northwest, and Southwest.
The following airlines are participating in Operation Hero Miles by providing free flights to soldiers and their families, but are not accepting airline mile donations: American, Independence, Pan-Am, US Airways.
About Operation Hero Miles
Operation Hero Miles provides a way for you to help our troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan by donating your unused frequent flyer miles. Efforts are underway to make the donated miles more broadly available to all U.S. military personnel.
The Hero Miles Story:
In September 2003, the Pentagon started giving soldiers stationed in Iraq two-week leaves in the largest R & R program since the Vietnam War. Soldiers on R & R or Emergency Leave are flown by the military to Germany or three airports in the United States, Baltimore/Washington, (BWI), Dallas/Fort Worth, (DFW), or Atlanta, (ATL ) for free. Existing law in 2003 required soldiers to pay for their own flights home from these three airports. The Hero Miles program was started to provide free round trip tickets donated by the American public to the almost 500 soldiers arriving each day from Iraq on R & R Leave
last fall. This public response helped persuade Congress to change the law and beginning January 1, 2004, the Pentagon now pays for these domestic flights for the soldiers.
Not long after the Hero Miles program started, the U.S. Army contacted the Congressman and requested that donated tickets also be made available to soldiers who must return home on Emergency Leave. These soldiers are approved to return home by their Commanders to attend to the birth, death, or illness of a family member or other family emergencies. Even today the military does not pay for any domestic travel for these soldiers or their families once the soldier arrives in the U.S. and their military base. For example, a soldier might be returned from Kirkuk, Iraq to his U.S. departure station at Fort Hood, Texas to attend to the funeral of his mother-in-law in Pennsylvania. However, he must personally pay the cost to travel to Pennsylvania for himself and his wife and children who are stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado at his permanent duty station. Your donation of frequent flyer miles can help the military provide free transportation for families in this situation. In December 2003, senior Pentagon officials met with Congressman Ruppersberger and proposed a further expansion of the Hero Miles program. In partnership with the Fisher House Foundation (locations), Hero Miles tickets are now used to fly family members of wounded soldiers
to U.S. military hospitals and be at the bedside of their loved ones. Often these families have to make many trips and stay for months at a time to help seriously wounded soldiers through long recuperations and multiple surgeries. The Fisher House provides free lodging for the families and Hero Miles provides transportation.
Americans have donated their unused frequent flyer miles to the Department of Defense and the Fisher House Foundation to help troops travel home and spend quality time with their loved ones, without worrying about how much it will cost.
Airlines Currently Accepting Donations
American Delta Independence Northwest Pan-Am
Southwest US Airways
ping
bump
Thanks for the information.
Do something good for Veterans Day!
Bump for the troops!
Many thanks kat for posting this for me. As always, freepers help each other. I received an email with this information but I don't know how to post a page with embedded links. I requested help from kat - so many thanks from me. This is such a worthwhile program, I hope all who can will participate. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS.
I hope all who can will participate.
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS BUMP!
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