ATLANTA – The Department of the Army, Georgia House of Representatives, and other federal and state elected officials from Georgia hosted an event today to support our servicemen and women in the United States Military and recognize the U.S. Central Command’s Rest and Recuperation (R&R) leave program and Military Personnel Assistance Point (MPAP) program, two Atlanta based programs that assist members of the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard with transit to and from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait.
“Too often we take for granted the freedom and liberty afforded to us by the incredible men and women serving in our United States Military,” said Representative Lynn Smith (R-Newnan). “Today’s event is an opportunity for the state of Georgia and its citizens to let our troops know that we support their service, appreciate their dedication, and are proud to have them in our state. Their sacrifices do not go unnoticed and we here in Georgia thank them.”
Serving as an honorary representative of the state of Georgia and its elected officials, State Representative Lynn Smith presented the military honorees with an official copy of House Resolution 528 and letters of recognition from Speaker David Ralston and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle. She also gave a Georgia state flag that had been flown over the State Capitol to the United Services Organization (USO).
Sponsored by Speaker Ralston and Rep. Smith, HR 528 honors military personnel and commends the dedicated efforts of the United States Army Human Resources Command and the USO in support of military personnel and their families. The resolution also conveys the profound appreciation of the Georgia House of Representatives for all members of the United States military, who stand ever ready to lay the ultimate sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.
The military’s R&R program allows troops deployed in a military theater for 270 days or longer to take a two week break from their active duty tour. These troops qualify for R&R after they have been in theater for 90 days, after which time they can schedule their R&R for any two week period they choose. Troops returning to the states on R&R from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait will either fly into Atlanta or Dallas, with Atlanta serving all troops staying east of the Mississippi River and Dallas serving areas west of the Mississippi River.
The Atlanta based Military Personnel Assistance Point (MPAP) is responsible for welcoming and debriefing all troops on R&R who land in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Additionally, MPAP assist these troops with their commercial flight to anywhere in the eastern United States. When the two week R&R is over, MPAP helps troops with their commercial transit back to Atlanta as well as their military flight back to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait. This exhaustive program operates 365 days a year and supported the R&R needs of more than 166,500 troops last year.
Although the MPAP’s mission is to assist troops on R&R leave, it also assists service members with other issues from sending initial entry personnel to basic training at Fort Benning, Fort Gordon, and Fort Jackson to housing troops whose flights get delayed.
Twenty Soldiers and civilian contractors comprise the Atlanta MPAP. These dedicated individuals work with the Atlanta airport, United Service Organizations (USO), Delta Air Lines and other private organizations to ensure the timely and quality care for our nation’s service members.
“Delta is honored to accommodate these outstanding men and women through our hometown on their travels during their rest and recuperation program,” said Steve Gorman, Delta’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Our operation at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the largest airline hub in the world, enables us to transport our military men and women wherever they need to go for their much-deserved leave from service.”
Delta has a longstanding partnership with the U.S. Armed Forces. That commitment includes an Atlanta airport lounge for military service members and their families during peak holiday travel periods; a long history of support for employees serving in the National Guard and Reserves; participation in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet program; dedicated check-in positions at our Atlanta hub to quickly process men and women in uniform; and a voluntary employee military honor guard to honor members of the military being transited to their final resting place.
For more information on HR 528, please click here.
# # #