Hitting the Streets with ITT

Information Tickets and Tours Offers Marines with Cheap and Easy Way to Travel About Town

Story by Sgt. Helen M. Searcy HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS, Washington

Another weekend's coming and you don't know what to do. You could do the same old thing you did last weekend – run errands and hang out in the barracks with your friends – but you have an itch to do something more.

Your local Information Tickets and Tours office may be able to scratch that itch for you with a host of on and off-base activities and recreation destinations.

Supported by each base's Marine Corps Commu-nity Services, ITT is often staffed with a Leisure Travel section paired with an onboard travel agency. Not all bases host the same travel agency, but the service is the same. Together these offices are the place to go for discounted tickets to concerts, shows, local and national sporting events, theme parks and vacation hotspots around the world.

Simply present your armed forces identification card at the offices and start taking advantage of deals like, a three-day pass to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., at $165 per adult compared with $182.12 at the gate.

The savings really add up when you buy multiple tickets.

Can't get a special liberty chit for an extra day? No sweat. ITT and Leisure Travel have weekend trips you can take, like one launched from the offices at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. A bus will drive you and a group of your friends to the nation's capital to see the Marine Barracks Washington's Sunset Parade. For $195, you also receive two nights lodging, according to Ella Washington, the ITT director at MCAS Cherry Point.

"Participants watch the show and the next day they tour D.C. at their leisure," Washington said. This can be a great opportunity for Marines to see our nation's capital, along with the Silent Drill Platoon and Drum and Bugle Corps.

Maybe a long trip with a bunch of other jarheads isn't your cup of tea. ITT and Leisure Travel also offer tickets to professional sporting events at lower costs than other civilian agencies.

Baseball season is in full swing. Take part in America's favorite pastime by stopping into the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., office and grabbing some Anaheim Angels or Los Angeles Dodgers tickets for $20 to $200, depending on where the seats are located, said Jennifer Gonzalez, the operations assistant at the Pendleton ITT office. Or get in free to Yankees stadium by presenting your military identification at the advance ticket window for any game, Monday through Thursday.

The fun doesn't stop once you leave the United States, either. The ITT office aboard MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, hosts individual and groups tours to discover Japanese culture. Future trips include traveling to the Himeji Castle, nicknamed the "White Heron Castle," and a Tokyo Fun Trip.

The Leisure Travel section is a full-service travel agency with connections to many discounted airfares, hotels, and cruises, said Georgette Stuparitz, travel manager at All Points Travel at MCB Quantico, Va.

Even if you think you'll get a good deal on your own by asking for military discounts, it still doesn't hurt to check with your Leisure Travel representative, who acts as your very own travel agent, said Stuparitz

Sometimes the military discount offered by companies isn't the best deal out there and that's where the travel agent does the research for you, said Stuparitz, who is part of a consortium of travel agents that gets tickets at wholesale. In fact, she has even made reservations over the phone for Marines stationed in Iraq.

Another perk of the on-base travel agency is reduced service fees. While many off-base agencies charge up to $50, Leisure Travel agencies like All Points usually charge $25, said Stuparitz. This is the only service fee that All Points Travel charges.

Whether it's a cruise to the Caribbean or a trip to the Daytona 500, take advantage of the opportunities and services available at your local ITT and Leisure Travel offices. You'll be able to rest assured you're getting the best deal out there without paying extra for the service.

To locate your nearest ITT office, visit www.usmc-mccs.org