QUALITY OF LIFE RECOMMENDATION LAUNCHES CHANGESIN SPACE AVAILABLE TRAVEL PRIVILEGES FOR MILITARY FAMILIES

An Air Force recommendation to enhance the quality of life for service members and their families has led to changes in a Department of Defense policy that will expand space available travel privileges.

Under the new rules, family members will now be allowed to travel space available on military aircraft -- under some conditions -- in the states with the sponsor, and overseas without the sponsor.

"The thought behind this change was to help minimize the stress families are experiencing because of draw downs, high operations tempos and the frequent deployments of service members," said Brig. Gen. Thomas R. Mikolajcik, Air Force director of transportation.

Effective October 20, family members may now travel within the continental United States with the sponsor on emergency leave or on a permissive house- hunting trip linked to a permanent- change-of-station move.

Family members may also travel unaccompanied between the United States and an overseas theater, and later within that theater, when on a command-sponsored overseas assignment. This is in addition to travel already authorized for environmental and morale leave.

Conditions and restrictions to the travel (such as command sponsorship letters and age limitations) do apply, and are contained in the change to DoD Regulation 4515.13R. Current categories for space-A travel are not affected under the new policy.