Does the Army pay for your ticket back home once your first child is born (when you are on deployment)?

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 19 May 2018 10:54:28 -0400

Response by SGT Joseph Gunderson made May 19 at 2018 11:18 AM

SGT Joseph Gunderson — Sat, 19 May 2018 11:18:32 -0400

Depending on the length of the deployment you will get "mid-tour" leave. The cost for travel on mid-tour is on the military. However, you are not authorized leave just because you're having a child. If your mid-tour falls during that period then great, congrats. If not, sorry, the military doesn't have to work around your schedule. I would talk to your Chain of Command and see if you can get some kind of preference for mid-tour scheduling. When I was a training NCO, it was my office's SOP when scheduling mid-tour leaves to have a list of when people planned to have children born or special occasions like anniversaries and such that they wanted to be home for and we worked to accommodate as much as we could. It didn't always work but we tried.

Response by SGT Eric Davis made May 19 at 2018 11:44 AM

SGT Eric Davis — Sat, 19 May 2018 11:44:19 -0400

Yes if you are married to that person and/or a Red Cross message!

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2018 1:19 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 19 May 2018 13:19:36 -0400

No, the Army will not pay for the ticket home, and barring complications, might not grant leave either.
Having said that, when my Soldiers had this situation arise, the NCO fund came through with a nice contribution.
But officially, no.

Response by Sgt Ted Daw made May 19 at 2018 1:32 PM

Sgt Ted Daw — Sat, 19 May 2018 13:32:04 -0400

I was in the Marines. But I was on a float with the 24th MEU when my twins where born and they got me to Norfolk, after that I was on my own to get to Oregon.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made May 19 at 2018 7:15 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sat, 19 May 2018 19:15:30 -0400

You might be able to take a flight to the central hub for military flights back to CONUS, if your unit lets you go. Where you land to get to your house won't be free.

Response by Maj Walter Kilar made May 19 at 2018 10:02 PM

Maj Walter Kilar — Sat, 19 May 2018 22:02:07 -0400

The military does not issue you a family, so you have to be prepared to miss birthdays. I missed the birth of both my kids. Nobody paid for me to go home and see them. Save up your money for that ticket home if you even get to go home. Be prepared to miss the first few months of your kid's life, plus a few years in total afterwards if you make it a career. Both of my kids are adults now, and they understand the sacrifices I made--to include the times I could not afford to come home.

Response by SPC Eric Burton made May 20 at 2018 10:47 AM

SPC Eric Burton — Sun, 20 May 2018 10:47:26 -0400

I had this situation happen to me back in 2005. I was in California getting ready to deploy I was doing training at NTC and they weren't going to let me go but found that other guys were going so they finally let me go I paid for the ticket but I was told that I really didn't need to because the travel would be taken care of but I already bought a ticket. So I flew out of California was home for five days and then flew back to California for the rest of the training so I guess it just depends on your command