Thursday, August 11, 2005

What can you do to show Our Boys you're on their side?

Donate your frequent flyer miles, that's what. Thanks to CNSNews for the heads up on this one.

Families of U.S. soldiers wounded in the war against terrorism are receiving free airfare so they can be with their loved one through medical rehabilitation and the gifts come from their fellow Americans.

The Fisher House Foundation inaugurated this program in January 2004, which allows average Americans who have accumulated travel miles with a participating airline to donate them to wounded soldiers and their families.

Since the beginning of last year, more than 525 million miles have been donated, resulting in four thousand tickets for the family members of wounded soldiers.

"We go through anywhere from 2.5 million to 3.5 million miles a week," James Weiskopf, vice president of communications at the Fisher House Foundation, told Cybercast News Service.

The Fisher House Foundation's effort follows a similar program initiated in October 2003 by U.S. Rep. "Dutch" Ruppersberger, a Maryland Democrat. Ruppersberger's Hero Miles program allowed frequent fliers to donate airline miles to the soldiers themselves who were trying to get home.

Until last year, Defense Department policy only allowed the government to pay for soldiers to fly to gateway cities. From that point on, the soldiers were responsible for their connecting flights home.

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