- The answer is "Yes" IF your sponsor is deployed for 30 consecutive days or more. Unaccompanied dependents of deployed military members, including Reserve and Guard personnel, when the deployment order is between 30 and 365 consecutive days, are authorized to travel Space-A, unaccompanied in Category IV. This includes Navy personnel assigned to a deployed ship with Permanent Change of Station orders. Travel must be completed before the end of the sponsor's deployment period. Travel is authorized to/from CONUS and OCONUS locations, between CONUS locations, and within/between OCONUS theaters.
- Dependents may sign-up for Space-A travel no earlier than 10 days prior to the military member's deployment and commence travel effective on the first day of military member's deployment. Travel must be complete by the last day of the military member's deployment. Here is the Official 120 Day Deployment Policy Announcement. Here is the Official 30 Day Deployment Policy Announcement.
- If the sponsor's deployment exceeds 365 consecutive days the unaccompanied dependent will be assigned Cat-III status ("selected after" Cat-III Active Duty Personnel and their accompanying dependents. This Category is unofficially referred to as Cat-IIIb (because you are selected for seats after the normal Cat-III pax). Here is the Official 365 Day Deployment Policy Announcement. You will still register/signup as Cat-III (there is no Cat-IIIb designator on signup forms etc...).
- Eligible dependents must present a deployment verification letter signed by the sponsor’s commander or designated representative (Navy and Marine Corps letters must be signed by individuals with "By Direction" authority approval, verifying the active duty member’s deployment. Letters should contain the following information: Sponsor's name, SSN (last four is OK), effective start and end date of deployment, dependents’ names, SSN (last four is OK), relationship to sponsor and unit contact information. The documentation must be in the dependents’ possession during travel and is valid for the duration. The verification letter (copy is OK) must be in the dependent's possession during travel, the letter is valid for travel through the sponsor's deployment return date and there is no limitation on number of times it can be used. NOTE: Dependents of deployed military members will not be denied travel based on incomplete (last four Digits only) or missing SSN on the deployment verification letter (Ref: Passenger Service Update, Aug 10).
- Here is a sample Deployed Sponsor Dependent Verification Letter verifying the member's deployment.
- "Deployment" is different from a TDY and is defined as anyone on contingency, exercise or deployment orders (CED - CONTINGENCY EXERCISE DEPLOYMENT orders). This includes one-year extended TDYs to any AOR. Normal TDY/TADs are NOT considered deployments, even if they're for training in preparation for deployment.
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