Reservist uses military benefits to cross off bucket list

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Wendy Lopedote
  • 916th Public Affairs Office
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  The following commentary is part of a series by Master Sgt. Wendy Lopedote on the military benefits in the realm of travel and tourism. Visit  the wing's Facebook page throughout August to participate in her daily "Where in the World is Wendy Lopedote" contest

Maybe I'm a little too young to have started my bucket list already. But the opportunities offered by military service and benefits were too good to pass up.

Because of the U.S. Air Force and its global reach, I've been able to see and experience many things all over this planet. The unique opportunities we have as military members, both on and off-duty, are ones the general public usually doesn't get.

Yet the travel benefits and discounts available to military personnel often go unseen or overlooked. Making the most of these benefits however, can not only save money but can also open up the world to create a lifetime of memories.

I've seen it all too often, the military members who stay on base the entire time while on a temporary duty assignment to another country or even just another state. Either it's from lack of knowledge or just not wanting to get out of their comfort zone.

Early on in my reserve career with the 916th Air Refueling Wing, I saw how the military could help me achieve my life-long dream of world travel. Not only has using the travel benefits saved me money, sometimes, I've even been paid for the privilege of traveling!

The sights, sounds, tastes and even smells of the places I've been as a result of being in the military are etched on my brain forever.

I've seen the great pyramids of Giza and the mighty Sphinx. I've walked on the ancient cobblestones of Pompeii and floated on the network of canals in Venice.

After a long day of training in Atlanta, I've sprinted from the train station and across Centennial Olympic Park, to make it to the Georgia Aquarium before it closed. I did stop in the park, all too briefly however, to slip off my flip-flops and wiggle my toes in the finely manicured Georgia Tifton grass.

It only cost my husband and me $12.50 each to fly space available, or Space-A, to Italy.

Making the boat to Greece was a little more challenging. It required another sprint from a train station and then a wild ride in an Italian taxi. My husband and I made it just in the nick of time and the taxi driver was tipped handsomely.

A 48-hour break while on annual tour in England was just enough time to fly to Dublin, Ireland and meet family I had only heard about before that. The tour of the Guinness factory and having a pint in a real Irish pub were a bonus as well.

These are just a few of the experiences I've had as a result of my military service.

Over the next few weeks, I will share more experiences I've had using military travel benefits at military lodging and family camps, national parks and attractions, as well as Space-A travel.

As you can see, I already have a lifetime of memories and I'm adding many more day by day. The more and more I take advantage of military travel benefits, my bucket list is quickly becoming my short list.