Washington, D.C. – The Pentagon has confirmed that its year-old policy of covering travel expenses for service members seeking reproductive health care not provided by the military – including abortions – was utilized 12 times from June through December. Spokesperson Sabrina Singh disclosed that the department spent $44,791 on transportation, lodging, and meals for these 12 round trips from a service member’s home station to the location of their health care. While it remains unclear how many of these trips involved abortion services, this aspect of the policy has been met with the most controversy.
According to Singh, these policies were implemented to ensure that service members and their families have the time and flexibility to make private health care decisions. The data released by the Pentagon, however, has several limitations, as tracking usage did not begin until months after the policy was put into place.
Initially announced in October 2022, the Pentagon’s decision to provide travel allowances and administrative leave for service members in need of reproductive health care not covered by the military was made in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling that allowed states to ban abortion. While much of the focus has been on abortion services, the policy also caters to service members requiring travel for fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization.
The policy sparked controversy and backlash from Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville, who blocked military promotions until the policy was reversed. Tuberville’s blockade, which impacted over 430 general and admiral nominees, lasted until December. Despite his claims that the policy could lead to thousands of annual abortions, skeptics argued that the policy’s impact would be minimal compared to the overall size of the military and its budget.
While the Pentagon did not release specific data on the types of reproductive health care service members were seeking, they revealed that the policy allowed for multiple trips to the doctor if necessary. As details continue to emerge, questions remain about the policy’s true impact and effectiveness within the military.