R&R flights for military in Iraq expected to resume this month

Dick Benoit

Thursday, June 3, 2004 | 9:10 a.m.

Some families of soldiers serving in Iraq may again hope for a home visit by their loved one with the resumption of military contract rest and recuperation flights, which were suspended in early February. The Army plans to resume the flights to the United States on or about June 15, according to officials.

The Central Command's R&R Program initially used military contract flights into Rhein/Main Air Force Base, Germany, which then continued to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Md., when it started at the end of September. An additional flight into Atlanta that continued to Dallas was added at the end of October, allowing almost 600 soldiers a day to take 15 days' leave away from the stress of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Though the R&R program continued on a smaller scale through the rotation of forces in and out of the Central Command in recent months, the contract flights were suspended Feb. 1 due to operational requirements of that rotation

Eligibility requires soldiers to have been deployed to the area for at least three months, but not more than 11 when taking the R&R leave. Additionally, commanders must approve the requested leave.

The Army plans to have two R&R contracted flights out of Kuwait City on a daily basis. One will fly to Germany and then to Atlanta. The other flight will fly directly to Dallas. The program is also open to and has been used by members of other services and Defense Department civilians.

The Atlanta and Dallas airports were selected as the U.S. aerial ports of debarkation because most of the units in the second rotation are based in the Southern and Southeast United States, Col. Paris Mack, Task Force R&R chief, said.

"Our intent is get these soldiers to their friends and loved ones as soon as possible so they can take full advantage of their leave," Mack said.

When the R&R program started, the contract flights delivered soldiers to Rhein/Main, Baltimore-Washington, Atlanta or Dallas at government expense, and soldiers were responsible for paying their way to final leave destinations. Congress provided additional funding late last fall to pay all travel costs to and from the leave address of the soldiers. That funding is not restricted to the soldier's home or home of record address.

In brief