Nonprofit helps junior service members fly home for free through volunteer program

Joining the military often means service members are stationed thousands of miles away from home. For many, coming back for the holidays or family milestones is simply too expensive. That's why a nonprofit called Miles for Military is flying junior service members back home at no cost.

Since its launch in 2023, the organization has grown rapidly. It started with just 19 flights in its first year, increased to 49 last year, and has already provided 535 flights this year to help service members return home when it matters most.

“Being junior enlisted, usually it's their first time away from home, first assignment in the military, they can be on the other side of the world, being alone, being isolated, being in the barracks, especially during the holidays, it can be very isolating and it can feel very lonely,” said Jacob Cool, chief operating officer of Miles for Military.

The program helps service members reconnect with loved ones by covering travel for occasions such as holidays, weddings, the birth of a child or family emergencies.

Here's how it works. To qualify, service members earn the flights by completing 25 hours of volunteer work, which can include activities like helping at the Red Cross or animal shelters.

For SoCal active-duty Army soldier Billie Roman-Ascensio, the program made the impossible possible.

“I’m super excited to see my family. I love my family. My cousin and my brother have also joined the Army after me. I’ll finally be able to see them after a whole year since them joining,” Roman-Ascensio said.

He added that buying tickets on his own was nearly impossible.

“I can never buy my ticket ahead of time, because my leave doesn't get approved ahead of time, so it's always an expensive price. It always goes up to the $2,000s sometimes as well, but thanks because of this program, I've been able to buy myself a ticket," he said.

Miles for Military was inspired by a Marine mom who realized many service members couldn’t afford to come home. The solution: encourage troops to volunteer their time in exchange for a round-trip flight.

“Our hope is through uplifting the volunteer communities themselves between the bases and surrounding communities, helping all those great causes with those nonprofits, but more importantly, just reconnecting those junior service members at a very critical time in their lives,” Cool said.