Congressional Study Says R & R Funding Inadequate

Washington, DC - The Maryland Congressman who started a program to help U.S. troops fly home on donated frequent flyer miles says a new report from the Library of Congress reveals that a plan for the government to begin paying for the flights falls short of the funds required.

Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) released a memo from the Library's Congressional Research Service (CRS), which says the $55 million recently appropriated by Congress to pay for soldier's domestic flights, "...is not sufficient to ensure each and every service member on R&R would receive travel assistance to his or her home." The report noted that officials of the Department of Defense told CRS that the total cost of a program to pay for R&R travel all the way home would mean the $55 million would run out in a matter of a few months.

A report in this week's edition of the Army Times says that none of the $55 million approved by Congress last month has been spent while the Department of Defense re-writes government travel regulations. Pentagon officials told the Times that process would take weeks more. Meanwhile, more than 3,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines each week are returning home and paying for their own domestic flights.

"The $55 million is a good first step, but it is not enough. It appears not a single soldier will realize the benefit of this funding before Christmas or even the end of the year. The American flying public needs to understand that our men and women in uniform in Iraq need their donated miles today," Ruppersberger said.

Ruppersberger said he would lead an effort in Congress to increase the funding for domestic R&R travel whenever the Pentagon reported that more was needed.

"This program does not help soldiers on emergency leave. It does not help any soldier flying this week, or even this year. It does not help to get families together during this important holiday season and that's why we need Operation Hero Miles," Ruppersberger said.

The "Operation Hero Miles" website can be found at www.heromiles.org. Seven major airlines are participating in the program and more than 150 million frequent flyer miles have been donated. That is the equivalent of 6,000 free round trips in the first four weeks of the effort.