The Marine Corps will reimburse its troops up to $1,000 for shipping breast milk during a permanent change of station move, according to a message published Tuesday, echoing a previous Pentagon initiative announced in May.
Marines with an infant up to one year old can request reimbursement to cover commercial shipping fees, disposable storage bags or nondurable containers, cold shipping packages, refrigeration, excess baggage fees, and dry ice or regular ice costs in an effort to ease what were once out-of-pocket expenses for troops during routine moves.
The authorization applies only to active-duty nursing mothers and not military spouses, according to the message. It comes several months after the Pentagon announced the reimbursement change under its “Taking Care of Our People” initiative.
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“This allowance targets those costs that military families with infants previously had to pay out of pocket,” Christopher Woods, policy branch chief at the Defense Travel Management Office, previously told Military.com of the Pentagon initiative. “Simply put, this policy helps make moves easier, and it strengthens support for military families.”
Woods estimated over the summer that roughly 7% of all military moves would benefit from the change and, while that is a relatively small number, repeated permanent changes of station, also known as PCS moves, can bring additional stress to families and often out-of-pocket expenses not covered by the military.
Military.com previously reported that, during said moves, mothers may be separated from their infants due to travel schedules that differ from their spouses. Their infants may accompany them, but the costs and logistics that go into providing for a baby during long flights or car rides only add to the pressures of uprooting their lives.
“Service members are ultimately responsible for arranging the transport or shipment of their human breast milk and for handling all related logistics,” the Marine administrative message said. “Expenses may not include the cost of a rental vehicle.”
Marines looking to take advantage of the initiative must have an endorsement — an annotation on their paperwork marking the request — on their move orders through the Marine Online Outbound Interview Module before any expenses are incurred, the message said.
Nursing mothers must collect receipts — regardless of the amount — for said expenses during their move and submit their travel vouchers within five working days after the move is complete.
The Pentagon initiative was, in part, a grassroots effort by military families asking for reimbursement or additional help when traveling with small children during PCS moves. Woods told Military.com that he wants service members to continue providing this feedback.
“For those service members who have a recommendation — good, bad, whatever it is — we encourage them to work with their local finance and personnel offices and provide feedback to them,” he said.
Related: DoD to Reimburse Service Members Up to $1,000 for Shipping Breast Milk During Military Moves
