There are many hidden benefits that pair with military service. The obvious tricky part for many Guard and reserve families is — with limited access to word-of-mouth marketing — learning about these resources and which ones are worthwhile. Here are six underutilized DOD resources that can transform your family’s travel experiences.
Information, tickets and travel (ITT)
Military installations have an office that specifically helps with off-duty leisure. Each branch refers to the office a little differently, but are able to help you no matter which you serve with.
- Army: Leisure Travel Office
- Marine Corps: Information, Tickets and Tours
- Navy: Tickets and Travel
- Air Force/Space Force: Information, Tickets and Travel
These travel offices offer an assortment of discounts. You can get discounted tickets for popular theme parks like Disney, Universal and Legoland, or book a cruise or an entire vacation package. Many offices can help you over the phone or email so you don’t have to go to base or post if you live far away. If you’re traveling near an installation, I’d recommend checking in with the local office too. They usually have discounts for smaller, local attractions and events.
Now that the DOD has combined the library systems into one, your military ID works as a library card at any installation. If you’re really looking to save the most money, call the library and see if they have free passes to local attractions. Many have family passes to museums, zoos and more that you can check out and return when you’re done.
Armed Forces Recreation Centers
When I hear “recreation center,” I think YMCA but Armed Forces Recreation Centers (AFRCs) are actually military resorts. We’ve probably all had the “pleasure” of staying at a hotel on a military installation. Many of them are outdated or lack necessary amenities, and are often avoided at all costs.
AFRCs are different — in the best possible way! Located in popular travel areas like Oahu, Orlando and Germany, they offer a suite of amenities on campus and activities at the hotel or the local area at a discount. The majority of the hotels have a mini Exchange and ITT offices on-site. These can be a great way to save money, especially if you are at the beginning of your career since the cost of the rooms is directly related to rank.
You’ll save the most by staying at the resorts during the location’s busy season, like holidays and school breaks. Try to book as far ahead as possible for the most availability. You can book up to a year in advance. You can find each hotel’s price and booking links by visiting the Army MWR website, which manages access for every branch.
Outdoor Recreation program
Outdoor Recreation does more than just offer rentals! They host seasonal outdoor adventures in the local areas. These tours are very well done and are led by someone who knows the best spots in town. You can save so much money by booking a tour on your trip through Outdoor Rec.
The type of trips offered depend on where you’re traveling. You can find trips from dolphin sightseeing to skiing, and they usually include transportation. There isn’t one booking spot for Outdoor Rec though, so Google will be your best friend here. Search for installations near your destination, and then check their Outdoor Rec. If they have a website, you can browse online, or you’ll need to call for the information. It will be worth the phone call!
Space-A travel: ultimate budget flights
The Space-A program, run by the Air Mobility Command, allows eligible personnel to fly on the empty seats on flights across the world. Guard and reserve service members are eligible to travel on Space-A flights. They can bring their families when they are on active duty or are activated for more than 30 days. Often you are flying on a cargo or refueling plane, or on a commercial style airplane called the Patriot Express.
Much like everything in the military, the dates and seats are all unconfirmed until you’re wheels up. However, if your travel is flexible, this can save you so much money. Travis AFB, Dover AFB and Seattle International Airport host many of these Space-A flights so if you live near one of these hot spots, it’ll definitely be worth learning the system. Visit the Air Mobility Command website to get signed up and start scouting flights. Just remember you’ll need to bring your own snacks.
American Forces Travel
Have you ever wished there was a Priceline but with military discounts? Well, let me introduce you to American Forces Travel. It’s an official DOD contracted site where you can book hotels, flights, rental cars and even event tickets. Just be sure to pay attention to those cancellation policies. I compared the site to regular Priceline and Expedia, and it beat the price nine times out of 10. The website is user friendly and you can access discounts all around the world. Eligibility includes Guard and reserve members, as well as dependents, but you will need to verify eligibility to create an account and start shopping.
DOD camping sites
The DOD operates cabins, RV sites and campsites all over the country. Hundreds of thousands of them. Yes, they even offer yurts in Alaska and beach side cabins in California and Hawaii. If you like roughing it on your travels, you can save money by staying at one of these sites. Many sites also have access to outdoor recreation equipment rentals and amenities like working toilets, parks, lakes with docks and more.
Again, the trickiest part is hunting these sites down. Each branch operates their own, and there is no one place to go and look them up. So you can browse the Army or Navy MWR sites since they operate the majority of these but don’t forget about the Coast Guard. They have some great cabins, too. You can turn once again to Google to find locations near where you’re already planning to go. Just keep in mind that not all the information is kept up to date, so if the contact information doesn’t work, try searching for the outdoor recreation contact on Military OneSource. The savings and the experience will be well worth the extra time of hunting these sites down.
No matter what your favorite style of travel is, there is a DOD program out there that will save you money. If planning trips already feels stressful, don’t forget you can go to your leisure travel office and they can help you integrate these opportunities into your plans. Creating memories and bonding as a military family is so important. Use your hard-earned benefits to save money on your next bucket-list adventure.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Chelsey Thomas is a military spouse turned avid traveler, and has mastered the art of exploring the world with her husband and two kids without breaking the bank. She leverages military perks and benefits to make travel more affordable and shares her best tips, tricks and resources on Instagram. Follow her journey and get insider travel hacks at Camouflage Perks.
