teen daughter hugs her father who is in military uniform

Operation Ride Home

Be Home For The Holidays

More Information

Holiday Travel Assistance for Military Families

The Jack Daniels Operation Ride Home program helps bring military families together for the holidays. Operation Ride Home subsidizes the travel costs for eligible service members and their dependents to return home to spend time with their families during the holidays.

This program can be used during Thanksgiving OR Christmas

Family reunification is a key component for a strong, healthy and resilient military families and the Armed Services YMCA of Hampton Roads is key to making this happen.

Program Overview

  • Travel assistance of up to $500/family member
  • Applicants are processed first come, first served
  • Travel destination must be at least 350 miles from Hampton Roads
  • Participants must complete an application in its entirety in order to be considered
  • Applicants must be Active Duty E5 or below (dependents may not complete the application unless their service member is currently deployed)
  • Family members must travel with their service member unless he/she is deployed at the time of travel
  • To apply through ASYMCA Hampton Roads, applicants must be stationed at Naval Station Norfolk, Naval Air Station Oceana, Naval Air Station Oceana Dam Neck Annex, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads (if you’re located at another installation please contact us for details)
  • Command-approved with financial need

The application period for Operation Ride Home is currently closed, but typically runs between early September through early November.