Operation Ride Home

Hawaiʻi Application Period is Sep. 4 to Oct. 9, 2026

Holiday Travel Assistance for Military Families

The Jack Daniel’s and ASYMCA Operation Ride Home program helps bring military families together for the holidays by offering a subsidy toward round trip flights for eligible service members and their immediate family to spend time back home during the holidays.
2026 Hawaiʻi Application Period: September 4 – October 9, 2026

~~APPLICATION IS CURRENTLY CLOSED~~

Your COMMAND LEAVE APPROVAL FORM must be uploaded to your ASYMCA account with your application during the application period. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Download HERE. START EARLY ON THIS FORM!

This program is made possible thanks to generous contributions of Jack Daniel’s, Jack Daniel’s distributors, and the general public, and with support from the Armed Services YMCA.

Contact Keola Taniguchi, ASYMCA Hawai`i Executive Director, at (808) 448-1972 or KTaniguchi@asymca.org with any questions.

DOWNLOAD THE ASYMCA OPERATION RIDE HOME FLYER HERE

DOWNLOAD THE COMMAND LEAVE APPROVAL FORM HERE

Program Overview

How it works

A subsidy toward round trip flights back home for the holidays for eligible service members and their immediate family
Applicants are processed first come, first served
Travel destination must be at least 350 miles from the service member’s installation
Participants must complete an application in its entirety in order to be considered

Who is eligible

Applicants must be Active Duty E5 or below (dependents may not complete the application unless their service member is currently deployed)
Family members must travel with their service member, unless he/she is deployed at the time of travel
To apply through ASYMCA Hawaii, applicants must be stationed on Hawaii.
Command-approved with financial need

Program Application Period

The application period for Operation Ride Home 2026 is September 4 through October 9.

Make sure your Command Approval Form is complete.
Travel dates can be for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years, between November 1, 2025 and January 31, 2026.
Deadline to submit an application for consideration is October 9, 2026 at 11:59 PM (HST). Applications submitted before September 4th or after October 9th are ineligible and will not be accepted for consideration.
Applicants will receive a status update by October 21, 2026.
Start early on your Command Approval Form and start drafting answers for your Q&A section. Your response should be compelling, personal, and written as a full paragraph (min. 5-7 sentences). One key question: Why would you like to be selected as a 2026 Operation Ride Home recipient?
REMINDER: DO NOT BOOK YOUR OWN TRAVEL.
Download the flyer HERE.

More Information

2026 Operation Ride Home Flyer HERE.
2026 Operation Ride Home FAQs HERE.
🩷In 2025, we helped 177 junior enlisted and their family members go home for the holidays. They traveled a collective total of 6.8 million miles.
In 2024, we helped 145 junior enlisted and their family members go home for the holidays. They traveled a collective total of 6.7 million miles.
In 2023, we helped 127 junior enlisted and their family members go home for the holidays. They traveled a collective total of 6,238,709 miles.
In 2022, we helped 120 junior enlisted and their family members go home for the holidays. They traveled a collective total of 5,217,062 miles.