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                         January 25, 2002

Changes make travel moves less costly for military

By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen Rhem
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON -- Several changes in the 2002 National Defense Authorization Act are making moves and official travel less costly for service members.

Changes dealing with dislocation allowance, temporary lodging expenses, pet quarantines and frequent-flier miles are all designed to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for service members. President George Bush signed this year’s authorization act Dec. 28.

Dislocation allowances, paid when members with families are forced to move, are being improved in several ways. Previously, the allowance was paid only when a member made a permanent change of station move. Under the new law, members receive a partial dislocation allowance of $500 if they’re moved involuntarily from government quarters at the government’s convenience. The full allowance is generally equivalent to one month’s basic allowance for housing.

"As we privatize and renovate quarters, we’re requiring people to vacate family housing, and they were receiving no compensation because there was no PCS," said Stephen Westbrook, director of DoD’s Per Diem, Travel, and Transportation Allowance Committee.

Another change allows dual-service couples with no other family members and who are moving into government quarters to receive the dislocation allowance. Westbrook explained that previous rules treated dual-service couples as two separate, single members -- and single members are not entitled to the allowance.

A third change allows new service members to claim the dislocation allowance for moves to their first duty stations. They previously were ineligible. Separation and retirement moves remain ineligible, Westbrook said.

Temporary lodging expense payments are designed to cover costs associated with staying in a hotel or temporary quarters while moving from one duty station to another. The new law increases the daily payment maximum rate from $110 to $180, Westbrook said. TLE is limited to 10 days for moves to bases within the continental United States.

The 2001 authorization act allowed the reimbursement of pet quarantine costs for members moving to areas that require quarantine. The 2002 act doubles that reimbursement rate from a maximum of $275 to $550.

The new authorization act allows members moving from one duty station within the United States to another to ship a second vehicle to their new duty station. Westbrook explained that previously, the government reimbursed members a certain amount per mile to drive a second car. The new law will pay shipping costs for a second car up the amount it would have cost to drive the vehicle, he said.

The new law allows federal employees, including military members, to keep frequent-flier miles and other promotional benefits airlines may offer travelers. Westbrook said the government’s longstanding position had been that it owned the frequent-flier miles employees earned for travel on the government’s dime. The airlines, however, only award miles to individuals.

"There’s no material benefit to the government (in keeping them from the members)," Westbrook said. "They are offered freely by those companies to all travelers. So this just recognizes that we should let federal travelers earn the same benefits and keep them just as if you worked for a civilian company."

He noted, however, that official travelers still must make their reservations through government travel offices and pay for official travel with government credit cards.