(Washington, D.C.)–Congressmen Jim Langevin and Patrick Kennedy last night  voted in favor of, and the House passed, legislation that would reimburse servicemen and women the full cost of travel from their areas of deployment to airports closest to their final destinations.

 "This is but one small way we can express our appreciation for the selfless sacrifice of our men and women in uniform," said Congressman Langevin, a Member of the House Armed Services Committee.  "Two weeks of paid leave provides an opportunity for our service people to return home for some much-needed rest and time with loved ones.  It is high time that the government reimburse our servicepeople for their travel costs back to the United States."
 
 “The idea that we would require these troops - who have sacrificed so much for our country - to pay their own way home is simply outrageous,” said Congressman Kennedy.  “We should not require our troops to take on any additional burdens - financial or otherwise - than their service to their country already demands.  Our guardsmen and reservists deserve the two weeks of R&R they have coming to them and the least we can do is see to it that they get home to their families and friends without having to go into their own pockets.”
 
Troops serving in Iraq for more than one year are entitled to 15 days of paid leave.  Previously, the Defense Department (DOD) transported military personnel only as far as certain specified points of entry, including Baltimore, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Los Angeles.  Military personnel were responsible for the commercial airfare required to travel beyond those destinations, which often costs hundreds of dollars. 

The FY 2004 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Iraq and Afghanistan required DOD to begin reimbursing service members for travel all the way to their final destination. However, the Department did not authorize disbursement of such funds until Dec. 19, 2003.  The bill passed today makes the new policy retroactive by requiring DOD to reimburse U.S. service members for transportation expenses incurred for one round trip between two locations within the United States in connection with leave taken under the Central Command Rest and Recuperation Leave Program during the period beginning Sept. 25, 2003, and ending Dec. 18, 2003.

-30-