mom with a big smile hugs her military son as he comes home

Operation Ride Home

Open to Service Members & Military Families

Holiday Travel Assistance

Spend the holidays with family! The Jack Daniel’s and ASYMCA Operation Ride Home program subsidizes travel costs for eligible service members and military families to return home to their families during the holidays.

Online applications for the 2024 program are accepted August 26–September 20. 

This program is made possible thanks to generous contributions of Jack Daniel’s, Jack Daniel’s distributors, and the general public, and with support from the Armed Services YMCA.

  • Applicants must be Active Duty E5 or below, and permanently stationed in Alaska. Open to single and married service members traveling with their spouses and/or dependents.
  • Dependents may not complete the application unless their service member is currently deployed.
  • Participants are determined and prioritized based on financial need.

 

Yes. Spouse and/or dependents of a deployed active duty (E5 and below) service member are eligible to apply for Operation Ride Home.

Generally, service members travel with their families. There may be instances where a service member may not be able to travel, but their family is selected for the program.

  • Operation Ride Home provides the following amounts in travel assistance:
    • Flight Travel Up to $500* per family member is provided for flight costs.
  • Flight costs that exceed the provided assistance need to be covered by the traveler.
  • Travel destinations must be 350+ miles from a service member’s installation. Only domestic flights can be booked through the Operation Ride Home program.

*Flight travel is booked by the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska. Cash is not distributed by this program nor can the ASYMCA reimburse tickets already purchased.

Online applications for the 2024 programs are accepted August 26–September 20. You will need an account in Daxko, our registration software. Accounts are free. Click here to create your account or, if you have an account, check to make sure it’s up-to-date.

The easiest way to upload your Command Approval Form is to do so when you apply. If you are unable to upload the completed form at time of application, you can upload it at a later date. All Command Approval Forms must be uploaded before the application period ends.

  1. Complete the Command Approval Form. Reminder: An incomplete or missing form will disqualify your application.
  2. Log in to your Daxko account.
  3. Go to the Dashboard and scroll to the bottom. Select “Add Document.“
  4. Upload the document to “Operation Ride Home 2024” and click “Save.”

The 2024 application period closes September 20 at 5:00 p.m. Applications with missing or incomplete Command Approval Forms after the application period closes will not be considered.

  • Applications are reviewed by installation points of contact and select applications to send to ASYMCA branches. The ASYMCA of Alaska will reach out to selected service members to coordinate travel.
  • Participants are determined and prioritized based on financial need in coordination with their command.
  • Service member selected by their command will need to complete additional paperwork, which will be sent via email.

 

Operation Ride Home is structured to help facilitate travel and offset costs as much as possible.

Traveler(s) are responsible for covering the difference should travel costs exceed the assistance amounts. Your billing information will be collected upfront to pay for these costs in the case of air travel. Should costs be a concern, please call 907-552-9622 to talk with our director before declining the award.

Operation Ride Home is made possible thanks to Jack Daniel’s, its distributors, and generous donors. These guidelines were established by ASYMCA and Jack Daniel’s to ensure optimal benefit of donations.

When registering for programs or uploading photos/videos, you will be asked to say yes/no to the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska’s photo/video waiver. This is an optional waiver and the waiver is as follows:

I hereby grant full permission for myself, my child, and/or my family members to be photographed by the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska staff for any legitimate purpose without payment or compensation. I also hereby consent to the participation in interviews, the use of quotes, and the taking of photographs, movies, or video tapes. I also grant to the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska the right to edit, use, and reuse said products for nonprofit purposes including use in print, on the internet, and all other forms of media. I also hereby release the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska and its agents and employees from all claims, demands, and liabilities whatsoever in connection with the above. By selecting “yes” or “no” on this form, you acknowledge that your household has received, read, and understood the Consent to Photograph, Film, Audio, or Video Recording for Non-Profit Use.

Bringing Families Together

A special thank you to our partner, Jack Daniel’s, for making Operation Ride Home possible!

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