Pentagon Employees Utilize Abortion Travel Policy 12 Times in 7 Months

The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that a military policy allowing service members to be reimbursed for out-of-state travel for reproductive health care, including abortions, was utilized 12 times from June to December of the previous year.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin put this policy in place after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, ensuring that military personnel stationed in states where certain health care services were no longer available could still access them.

The controversial policy caused backlash, prompting Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville to delay military promotions in an unsuccessful attempt to have it revoked. Tuberville eventually released his holds in December.

During the seven-month period, the policy was used 12 times at a cost of approximately $40,000 for expenses such as lodging, meals, and transportation for traveling out of state for care.

Data on the first five months of 2023 is unavailable as tracking methods were not established initially. The specifics of the care sought during the 12 trips are not disclosed due to medical privacy concerns.

Federal law limits abortions at Defense Department medical facilities to cases where the pregnant individual’s life is at risk, or in cases of rape or incest, which have been rare. Between 2016 and 2021, only 91 abortions were performed at military medical facilities.

Many military officers affected by Tuberville’s holds refrained from speaking out for fear of being seen as political. However, as the strain on their lives and their subordinates grew, they began to voice concerns about the impact of the uncertainty on their families and the military community.

The stress caused by the holds was highlighted when U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith suffered a heart attack in October, shortly after addressing the issue at a military conference. Smith recently returned to full duty.