Q. I want to know if such services exist?
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This service does indeed exist. I believe the term you are looking for
is 'Space A travel', or 'military hops'. Space A allows military
members to travel to CONUS and OCONUS military locations for free or a
minimal boarding fee. This service is delivered on availability, and a
first come, first serve basis.
CONUS - Continental United States
OCONUS - Outside Continental United States
This site gives us more details on this service than we could ever use
:
Space Available Information
http://www.glue.umd.edu/~oard/spacea/
This service is available to all the following branches of service and
reserve components, so your son definitely qualifies :
- United States Army and Reserve
- United States Navy and Reserve
- Unites States Coast Guard and Reserve
- United States Marine Corps and Reserve
The flights are only available on military owned and operated
aircraft, so it's much different than flying a commercial flight. An
example aircraft that might be used for a military hop would be a
C130. I flew on a C130 from Okinawa, Japan, to Osan, Korea for a
little shopping trip, and admit the process can be a little daunting.
There are a few 'commercial type' aircraft in use, but they are
definitely few. I'll attempt to make the instructions as easy as
possible in the next part of this answer.
Q. How can he utilize the Space A travel program?
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This is where your son has to do a little bit of research. Many
flights are flown on a regular schedule, while some are flown on the
'drop of a hat'. I'll list the process by numbers, and then further
explain what each step entails. Before I do that though, I highly
recommend purchasing a book that will offer a list of all the
available flights, contact information, and requirements. The best
book for this is published by Military Living and can be found here :
Military Living Space A
http://www.militaryliving.com/books.html
Now - onto the process of actually using the 'military hop' service :
1) You must first find a destination base that is as close to where
you are trying to go. You will also need to find the closest one where
you would like to leave from. We need to ensure the bases chosen
indeed offer this service, so you'll probably really want that book
right about now
In the meantime, here is a map of the United
States that allows you to peruse by state, to find a base that
participates in Space A travel. I also put a link to a site that goes
into far more detail that I ever possibly could. It tells you
everything you need to know to get you started.
Space A Map (not inclusive)
http://www.glue.umd.edu/~oard/spacea/howto.html
How to Plan Space A Trips
http://www.glue.umd.edu/~oard/spacea/howto.html
2) Once you have a few bases/airfields in mind, and your dates loosely
set, you can begin to start looking for flights that fit your
criteria. This can sometimes be a pain, but the service is free. You
may have to look for connecting flights, keeping your eyes open for
flights that deviate due to unknown reasons and much more. There are
tons of places on the web with information on available flights, in
fact too many to list. Here is a list of contacts for Army bases
within the United States to get you started :
Army Aviation Facilities with Fixed Wing Passenger Capable Aircraft
http://www.glue.umd.edu/~oard/spacea/armylist.html
At the same site, the author suggests a good guidebook, and I cannot
stress enough how much burden this will take off the research time :
"While some information about that can be found on these web pages,
there is no substitute for a good guidebook and either some experience
or a lot of phone calls."
http://www.glue.umd.edu/~oard/spacea/howto.html
3) Then proceed to contact the bases for more information to include :
- Departure times
- Arrival times
- Estimated available seats
- Time to show up
I was able to locate a few solid lists of resource sites that offer
information for specific bases :
CONUS Terminals with destinations
Click on the link that says 'Continental United States (CONUS) AMC
Terminals'
https://amcpublic.scott.af.mil/spacea/24_203.htm
Military Space A travel
http://vetstravel.net/vetstravel.index.html#mwr
Space A Facilities Listings
http://spacea.info/
4) Double check and research more
Researching what experiences
others have had is a great way to get more information before leaving.
I also recommend chat sites and forums that cater specifically to this
subject. Here are some that you should find useful :
Dirk Pepperd's Space-a WWWBoard
http://pepup.hypermart.net/wwwboard/wwwboard.html
About.com Military Guide
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/leavespacea/
Military.com Space A Travel
http://www.military.com/Travel/SpaceATravel/0,11886,57,00.htm
FAQ's about Space A travel
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/military/space-a/
You will also need to know everything you should bring with you.
Traveling outside the United States often requires a passport, even
for military personnel. The Military.com site also offers great
insight on this subject :
What should I bring?
http://www.military.com/Travel/Content?file=space_a_flight_bring01.htm&area=Content
I think I have gathered enough resources to get you started. I wanted
to keep the answer to a *readable* level, and not confuse you. Just
remember to be flexible, as this service does have it's downfalls. It
requires meticulous planning and an average temperament
You only get issued a one way ticket, so you have to do the same
process over again for a return flight. Once you completed your first
flight, the process seems to get a little easier to follow and
manipulate.
