permanent change of station travel training

Defense Travel Management Office

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness)Department of Defense

Permanent Change of Station Travel Training

GSA Expo

June 9 – 11, 2009

Bill Tirrell, Chief of Travel & Transportation BranchPDTATAC Division


Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness)2

Caveats

• Material included in this brief is current BUT is subject to change

• Do NOT use this brief as the basis of any decision; consult the appropriate reference in the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) or Joint Federal Travel Regulations (JFTR) for the most current information

• “If you can’t stand the answer, don’t ask the question.” ~ Ed Brennan, State Department

• PDTATAC website can now be found at: http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem



Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness)

Overview

• JFTR, Volume 1 - not applicable to DoD civilian employees

• DoD civilian employees follow the regulations of authority whose appropriations pay for the travel (except for ‘Fly America’)

• Service regulations supplement the JTR, but cannot authorize expenditures that are not allowed in JTR

• JTR available at: http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil

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http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/



JTR and JFTR Basics

• JTR/FTR and JFTR are NOT guidance; have the force and effect of law– No JTR or JFTR waivers

• Location of TDY, not hotel, determines per diem locality and rate (with a very rare exception)

• Just because JTR (or JFTR) does not specifically state that you cannot do something, does NOT mean that you can (JTR, par. C1050-A and JFTR, par. U1000)– Said differently: The regulations tell users what they can do;

find where the regulations say you can do something

• JTR & JFTR Appendices – A must-read if dealing with DoD civilian employees (and

Uniformed Personnel), travel and transportation allowances

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JTR and JFTR Basics (continued)

• Link to JTR & JFTR is posted on DTMO website• Find additional information including:

– Several links to other sites– Frequently asked questions on a variety of relocation/PCS

and business travel/TDY subjects– CURRENT world-wide per diem rates (including for U.S.

Installations)– Service representative phone numbers (DoD civilian

employees/Uniformed Personnel)

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PCS Allowances Comparison – DoD Civilian Employees vs. Uniformed Personnel

• General information (JTR & JFTR, Chs 5, Part A)

• Travel (paid differently)– New POC mileage rate set by GSA was effective

January 1, 2009 ($.24/mile)– Same per diem rate for POC travel ($109/day)

• JTR & JFTR Chs 5, Parts B– DoD civilians paid ‘Lodgings-Plus’; Uniformed Personnel

paid ‘flat rate’

• House Hold Goods (HHG)– Varying weights and more options for Uniformed Personnel

• JTR & JFTR, Chs 5, Parts D

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PCS Allowances Comparison (continued)

• Dependent travel and transportation – Paid differently– Same per diem rate used for POC travel ($109/day)

• JTR & JFTR, Chs 5, Parts C

• Miscellaneous Expense Allowance (MEA) vs. DLA – Paid differently; different payment ceilings

• JTR & JFTR, Chs 5, Parts G

• POV shipment – No optional storage DoD civilian employees

• JTR & JFTR, Chs 5, Parts E

• House hunting trips at government expense – For DoD civilian employees only (JTR, Ch 5, Part M)– Uniformed Personnel at ‘no cost’ to government

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• Temporary lodging and meal expenses at previous and/or new permanent duty stations – Paid differently for DoD civilians and Uniformed Personnel; paid

differently within Uniformed Services– DoD civilians: TQSE(AE) or TQSE(F)

• JTR, Ch 5, Part H; TQSA per State Dept regs - DSSR– In CONUS TQSE(AE) is based on standard CONUS per

diem - This is important!– TLE CONUS (48 & DC) vs. TLA overseas– TLE and TLA computations in JFTR

• JFTR, Ch 5, Part H for TLE and JFTR, Ch 9, Part C for TLA• Leave travel between overseas assignments

– Similar– RAT & COT/ IPCOT; JTR, Ch 5, Part K & JFTR, par. U7200

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• Leave travel while overseas – Both DoD civilian employees and Uniformed Personnel now have

FEML and R&R travel in designated locations – Similar– JTR, Ch 7, Parts N & O; JFTR, pars. U7207 and U7300;

JTR/JFTR, APPs S and U• Buy or sell residence/property management

– DoD civilian employees only – JTR, Ch 5, Parts P and Q

• Taxes on PCS travel/transportation allowances – DoD civilian employees PCS allowances significantly taxed;

Uniformed Personnel PCS allowances not taxed– JTR, Ch. 5, Part N, FTR; DODFMR

• For references, see the FAQ #36 posted on website

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Frequently Asked Questions

• I’m civilian employee (or Uniformed Personnel) with no dependents. I get a smaller HHG weight allowance (Uniformed) and less MEA or DLA than a civilian employee (or Uniformed Personnel) who has dependents. Why?

• Why can’t I ship two POVs at the government’s expense?

• Why won’t the government pay for a rental car while I’m waiting for my POV to be delivered?

• Why are Uniformed Personnel reimbursed for baggage tips at airport but not civilian employees?

• Why don’t I, as a civilian employee, get a 10% packing material allowance for paper and cardboard boxes like Uniformed Personnel?

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Conclusion

• A traveler’s greatest need is correct and timely information

• Travelers should be informed by knowledgeable personnel using JTR/FTR/DSSR or JFTR, and Service implementing regulations– JTR implements FTR (and DSSR, in part) for DoD civilian

employees– JFTR is statutory regulation for Uniformed Services

• PDTATAC Division is required to review “all written material” implementing JFTR and/or JTR (DODD 5154.29)

• Read Appendix A in JTR and JFTR!

• Refer contractor questions to the CORs and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

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Additional Information

• Website: http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem

• Service points of contact: http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/phdir.html

• Contact the PDTATAC Division: [email protected]

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http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/phdir.html

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/phdir.html

mailto:[email protected]



Back Up Slides

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PCS Allowances Comparison

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Allowance Citation DoD Civilian Employees

Uniformed Personnel

House Hold Goods (HHG)

(JTR & JFTR, Chs 5, Parts D) Varying weights

Varying weights and more options

Dependent travel and transportation

JTR & JFTR, Chs 5, Parts C

Paid differently; Same per diem rate used for POC travel ($109/day)

Miscellaneous Expense Allowance (MEA) vs. DLA

(JTR & JFTR, Chs 5, Parts G)

Paid differently; different payment ceilings

POV shipment (JTR & JFTR, Chs 5, Parts E) No optional storage

House Hunting Trips at Government Expense

(JTR, Ch 5, Part M)

For DoD civilian employees only

‘No cost’ to government




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Allowance CitationDoD

Civilian Employees

Uniformed Personnel

Temporary lodging, meal expenses at

previous and/or new permanent duty stations

• TQSE(AE) or TQSE(F) • JTR, Ch 5, Part H; TQSA per

State Dept regs - DSSR• In CONUS TQSE(AE) is

based on standard CONUS per diem

• TLE CONUS (48 & DC) vs. TLA overseas

• TLE and TLA computations in JFTR

• JFTR, Ch 5, Part H for TLE and JFTR, Ch 9, Part C for

TLA

Paiddifferently

Paid differently

within Uniformed Services




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Allowance Citation DoD Civilian Employees

Uniformed Personnel

Leave travel between overseas assignments

RAT & COT/ IPCOT) (JTR, Ch 5, Part K & JFTR, par. U7200

Similar

Leave travel while overseas

Note: both DoD civilians and Uniformed Personnel now

have FEML and R&R travel in designated locations

JTR, Ch 7, Parts N & O; JFTR, pars. U7207 & U7300; JTR/JFTR, APPs S and U

Similar

Buy or sell residence/property management

JTR, Ch 5, Parts P & Q

DoD Civilians only

Taxes on PCS travel/transportation allowances

JTR, Ch. 5, Part N, Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), & DODFMR

PCS allowances significantly taxed

PCS allowances not taxed

permanent change of station travel training

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