Contact Caroline Tabler or James Arnold (202) 224-2353
Washington, D.C.- Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) today introduced the Fallen Heroes Family Travel Act, which would allow the Department of Defense to pay for family travel to Dover Air Force Base for any service member who dies outside the United States. Under current law, the Department of Defense can only pay for travel to Dover Air Force Base for family members of service members who die in a combat zone.
"Traveling to Dover Air Force Base to witness the repatriation of remains allows the families of our fallen heroes to begin the healing process. The families of our service members serve beside them in the defense of our nation, and we have an obligation to ensure they receive the same care as they grieve-no matter where their loved one passed away," said Cotton.
"Cost shouldn't prevent any military families from being able to travel to Dover Air Force Base to receive the remains of a loved one who died while serving our nation," said Duckworth. "That's why I'm joining Senator Cotton in introducing the Fallen Heroes Family Travel Act, a bipartisan bill that would allow the Department of Defense to pay for this travel regardless of whether the Servicemember died in a combat or non-combat situation."
Companion legislation was introduced earlier this year in the House of Representatives by Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Illinois).
