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Morale, Welfare and Recreation Programs

Overview

From fitness and sports to tickets and travel, MWR programs — which vary by location — offer something for everyone. Whether you’re stationed on an installation or off, you’ll always have a way to access these offerings to relax, have fun and connect with others.

Find ways to unwind, get involved in sports, meet new people and more through the different services and activities.

MWR programs, services and activities

  • Fitness, aquatics and sports programs: Hit the gym, try yoga, swim laps at a pool or play organized sports. If you aren’t near an installation gym, work out at any of the more than 3,000 YMCAs and private fitness facilities that offer military memberships to eligible service members.
  • Boating, bowling centers, golf courses, stables: Try something new. Get a great deal on a boat rental or horseback riding. Or try special-interest programs such as scuba diving or flying. Get a group of friends together for a round of golf or a night of bowling.
  • Individual skills development programs: Get in touch with your creative side with arts and crafts or check out a performing arts center. Or learn some automotive skills.
  • Libraries: Check out a bestseller, read a magazine article or study for an upcoming test with library resources. Visit your installation library or create an account and log in to DOD MWR Libraries to access the Defense Department MWR Libraries website from anywhere in the world. Download select titles to your smartphone or tablet or get an audiobook for your next road trip.
  • Information, Tickets and Travel: Get tickets to a movie or an amusement park at a reduced rate or ask an Information, Tickets and Travel employee to help you get good deals on everything from airfare to resort reservations. Use your discounts to see sporting events or go to a concert. Note that ITT has expanded its services through American Forces Travel℠, an e-commerce website, making ITT available 24/7.
  • Recreational lodging: Rent a beach cabana, find the perfect ski chalet or take your family members camping. The Best Kept Secrets: Joint Services Campground and Facilities guide can help you find your perfect getaway at an affordable rate.
  • Outdoor recreation programs: Whether it’s mountain biking, sharpening your paintball skills or hunting, MWR programs can help you find what you are looking for. If there’s not an installation near you, consider checking out the free annual pass offered by the National Park Service. It offers access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.
  • Recreation centers: Get your video game fix by entering a tournament with your friends, get a group together to watch the big game or take advantage of free Wi-Fi at your local rec center.
  • Single service member programs: MWR programs offer a variety of programs for single service members up to age 25, including trips and tours, concerts and special-event activities.
  • The Patronage Expansion Act: This allows eligible veterans and caregivers to access U.S. DOD installations to use certain MWR facilities.
Best Kept Secrets Podcast

Learn about accommodations and amenities available to service members and their families at great rates without sacrificing luxury or location.

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The following people and their immediate families generally have unlimited access to all MWR programs and services.

  • Service members on active duty
  • Members of the reserve components (Ready Reserve, National Guard and reservists in training)
  • Cadets of the service academies and Merchant Marines
  • Retired service members and their family members
  • Honorably discharged veterans with 100% service-connected disabilities
  • Medal of Honor recipients
  • Unmarried surviving spouses and orphans of personnel who died on active duty or in retired status, or who were married to the service member for 20 years while they were on active duty
  • DOD and Coast Guard civilians stationed outside the United States
  • The installation commander establishes limited-use eligibility requirements that are subject to local demand and capacity. Here are some groups who may have limited access to MWR programs and services based on local installation policy:
    • DOD and Coast Guard civilians and their families stationed inside the United States
    • Retired DOD civilians and their families
    • DOD personnel and technical representatives when working full time on an installation
    • Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets when participating in field training or practice cruises
    • Former prisoners of war, along with their family members
    • Military Housing Privatization Initiative employees and residents, and privatized Army lodging employees
    • Foreign national employees
    • Guests and members of the public (when established criteria have been met)

The in-person, on-installation ITT eligibility is limited to the following members of the military community:

  • Active-duty, National Guard and reserve service members and ID-holding family members
  • Retired service members and ID-holding family members
  • DOD civilians (appropriated fund and nonappropriated fund)

ITT’s online version, American Forces TravelSM eligibility has expanded to include the following members of the military community:

  • Active-duty military (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard)
  • Reserve components and National Guard
  • Coast Guard Auxiliary active duty
  • Active-duty and retired National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Active-duty and retired U.S. Public Health Service
  • Retired military, including those in the reserves and National Guard who are retirement eligible
  • Medal of Honor recipients
  • Veterans with service-connected disabilities, all veterans who are Purple Heart recipients, all veterans who are former prisoners of war, all individuals approved and designated as the primary family caregivers of eligible veterans under the Department of Veterans Affairs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers
  • Eligible family members who are officially sponsored (ID card holder) by authorized patrons in the above categories
  • DOD and Coast Guard civilians, including appropriated funds and nonappropriated funds employees
  • Full-time, paid employees of the American Red Cross and United Service Organizations hired in the United States and serving at U.S. DOD installations overseas
  • Veterans of the United States Armed Forces with a discharge status of honorable or general under honorable conditions.

For more information on limited-use eligibility, check with your installation MWR program.

Related Resources
Best Kept Secrets - Recreational Facilities Locator

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