Regarding the Sept. 13 article “DOD: Space-A flights likely to decline”: If a spouse was with the military person through the 20 years of service, then why not let them fly space-available? They would still have an ID and can do all other things the same as a retiree but fly Space-A. They can be a Category VI like all retirees, and we know that the troops come first on all flights.

My husband — who spent 27 years in the Marine Corps and retired as an E-9 in 1979 — and I have flown Space-A a few times, and sometimes we are only ones on the plane besides the crew and some equipment. We have had to wait a few times also as troops take up the space in the plane — and that is something we understand and don’t mind, and we wait for the next flight if there is one.

When talking to different people we don’t hear of many who would do the flying but there are some who are still healthy enough and can follow all rules of getting on and off the planes. I think this needs to be taken into consideration.