May is National Military Appreciation Month: 5 ideas for celebrating your military & Veteran peers, family & friends

Let us know in the comments your favorite traditions!

1. Apply to accompany an Honor Flight. The Honor Flight Network on May 3 commemorated escorting its 250,000th Veteran to the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., to tour the war memorials and monuments on the National Mall. And, as reported by the Army Times, the organization announced that next month the U.S. Park Police would resume assisting the escorts of D.C.-area Honor Flight tour buses of Veterans from the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War eras and terminally ill Veterans from any era.

Volunteers can apply as Veterans or guardians to accompany Honor Flight trips to Washington, D.C., or to regional hubs in states across the country. “Participation in an Honor Flight trip gives Veterans the opportunity to share this momentous occasion with other comrades, to remember friends and comrades lost, and share their stories and experiences with other Veterans,” the network says.

With network-raised donations, escorted Veterans pay nothing for the trips, which generally take place during May-November.

Details: Washington, D.C., schedule, https://www.honorflight.org/schedule.html; regional hub map, https://www.honorflight.org/map.html; and Army Times article, https://www.armytimes.com/veterans/2022/05/02/park-police-to-resume-escorts-for-honor-flight-visits-around-washington-dc.

2. Remind Gold Star families and Veterans about the “Lifetime Pass” for national park visits. In case you missed the news late last year, Gold Star families and Veterans can now get free access to federal lands under a new “Lifetime Pass” program. (Active duty military and dependents already qualified for the pass, called the America the Beautiful – National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Military Pass.) The benefit grants the two additional groups no-cost access to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service sites that charge entrance fees and covers standard amenity fees at sites operated by the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The official Lifetime Pass for Gold Star families and Veterans has yet to be printed, and so for now these users are told to get park access by obtaining an “Annual Interagency Military Pass,” available at no charge at sites that issue passes in person. Details: Obtain this pass by following the overview instructions at https://store.usgs.gov/MilitaryPass.

3. Look into other travel discounts. In honor of Memorial Day on May 30, http://www.AmericanForcesTravel.com and Priceline are providing active military, National Guard and reserves, and Veterans discounts of up to 50% on hotels, cars, flights, cruises, travel packages and events. Details: Check out the offers at https://www.americanforcestravel.com/?refclickid=AFTVAMEMSALE22.

4. Tour the Pentagon. Consider taking a discounted trip to Northern Virginia for a visit to the Pentagon: The Defense Department announced that guided public tours of one of the world’s largest office buildings restart on May 10 following a more than two-year hiatus to limit the spread of COVID-19. If you go, prepare to get in many steps: The tours involve 1.5 miles of walking as you take in over 30 exhibits showcasing U.S. military history. Limited schedule tours are on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET, and must be scheduled two weeks ahead. Details: Learn more and schedule tours at https://www.defense.gov/Pentagon-Tours/Request-A-Tour.

5. Get credit on Army loans. Want to shave up to 200 bucks off your Army Emergency Relief (AER) loan? If you’re an eligible active duty, National Guard and reserve soldier within 90 days of receiving an AER loan, head to http://www.financialfrontline.org. Review and complete the financial training videos (pay attention — there’s a test). Then, score an 80 or above on a 25-question quiz (you get three attempts). If you’re a top-scoring E4 or below, receive $200 in loan relief; top-scoring E5s or above get $100 off loans. Details: Learn more at https://www.financialfrontline.org/tools-and-resources/educational-videos and view an infographic about the quiz here https://twitter.com/16thSMA/status/ [login to see] 66065160/photo/1.

Learn more

Show your military and Veteran appreciation in other ways by sharing these additional RallyPoint resources:

For female Veterans who aren’t yet signed up for health care with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: https://www.rallypoint.com/command-post/women-s-health-at-the-va-really-yes-indeed

For active duty soldiers in need of nonmedical counseling: https://www.rallypoint.com/command-post/active-duty-military-members-eligible-for-non-medical-counseling-through-military-one-source

For Veterans who want to give back by volunteering at Veteran-friendly nonprofits: https://www.rallypoint.com/command-post/national-volunteer-month-explore-the-benefits-of-giving-back-to-these-14-military-and-veteran-friendly-nonprofits

For service members in transition to civilian careers: https://www.rallypoint.com/command-post/top-free-resources-available-during-transition