Pentagon Clarifies Abortion Travel Policy
The Pentagon’s amended reproductive healthcare travel policy has been revised yet again to clarify specifically what it bans and what it does not. Under the original revision, the Pentagon seemed to rescind its reproductive healthcare services travel policy altogether.
However, clarification since the original announcement seems to indicate (assuming the Pentagon doesn’t change its mind again in the meantime) that military families still qualify to receive a travel stipend to seek reproductive health care, such as in vitro fertilization, to get pregnant.
Old DoD Reproductive Healthcare Policy
Under previous DoD policy, service members were allowed up to three weeks of leave and received a travel stipend to cross state lines to seek reproductive health services such as in vitro fertilization, ovarian stimulations, sperm collection, and egg retrieval.
The policy also allowed the same options for those who needed abortion care.
These were revoked in a Jan 2025 memorandum meant to bring the Pentagon in line with a presidential executive order forbidding the use of federal taxpayer dollars for abortion services.
The policy’s language included the term “effective immediately”, leaving many in limbo, wondering if their currently scheduled care would be allowed.
DoD Updated Policy
The updated policy from the Defense Travel Management Office in early February 2025 clarifies the DoD rule, noting the end of the prior policy should not be considered “as the elimination of access to non-covered assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization.”
Current DoD policy, as updated, would allow permissive temporary duty status or PTDY and travel expense reimbursement for reproductive healthcare services mentioned above but no such provision for abortion care.
The DoD Travel policy applies to troops and families in the DoD healthcare system, including veterans seeking information on VA care for reproductive services.
As of February 12, 2025, the VA official site has the following information about abortion care services and the Department of Veterans Affairs:
“VA is able to offer abortion counseling, and—in certain cases—abortions to pregnant Veterans. Specifically, VA is able to provide access to abortions when the life or health of the pregnant Veteran would be endangered if the pregnancy were carried to term, or when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.”
VA.gov adds those enrolled in the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) also have access to these services.
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
