Information on PCS/moves/moving (DITY, TMO, DLA, storage)

[Pajaro]

I'm missing something on a Circuitous Travel Request and could use some advice. I'm an exchange officer in the middle of nowhere in Europe soon to PSC to a minor AETC base. I want to do Circuitous Travel through Venice, Italy. I submitted my request through Ramstein TMO (SATO, actually) to find out the official travel cost from my base in the middle of nowhere to the minor AETC base. That's what the USAF would pay if I did the direct route. They say it's $950 per person for all of FY2014. It doesn't matter what date.

I thought that was a little low, so I called Keesler (my most previous US base) to verify that they say the same price. Not even close. They say the official travel price for the same route is $2100 per person.

So, I called Ellsworth SATO to get a neutral party's figure. I've never been to Ellsworth, but I figure they have no reason to screw me. They say...wait for it....$3400 per person! WTF! They also say it's absolutely date-dependent (directly contradicting Ramstein SATO). Evidently having the contractor calculate the official travel cost is more of an art than a science. Either:

1) Ramstein SATO is super efficient and gets special official travel rates

2) Ramstein SATO is trying to screw me for some reason

3) Keesler (admittedly not SATO, but Wingate, I think) and Ellsworth (SATO) don't know how to figure out prices from Europe.

My plan is to wait until Monday and see what Aviano says. Maybe another USAFE base will be able to confirm the Ramstein number. Any thoughts on this? I really thought there was some big DoD travel database that listed the price between bases. I'm not at a US base, so I understand that my case is a little weird, but shouldn't two SATO offices have the exact same data to reference?

So Spang says $3400 and Aviano says $2100. I presented all the different prices to Ramstein, but they continued to say that they can get the ticket for $950. I emailed Aviano's quote to them, and it came from a TMO civilian they respected, so Ramstein gave him a call to see why he was so confused. He convinced Ramstein that $2100 is the right number, because it should be a price available at any time, not just in the next few days. I consider this a win, but am concerned that Ramstein doesn't understand the basics of PSC ticket pricing. Anyway, lesson learned; trust, but verify. Thanks for the help Aviano TMO!

edited to thank FinanceGuy for the GSA pricing link. My airport is so small that it doesn't have a city pair, but just knowing the website exists is a very good tool to have.

Edited February 14, 2014 by Pajaro

[ForgotPassword]

Anyone know if I could claim a hitch extended/hauler on my truck for an upcoming DITY move? It runs about $400 and I'd actually being it to haul one of my motorcycles. I can be used as a generic hauler though, for cargo boxes, coolers, et cetera

[Bobby]

Anyone know if I could claim a hitch extended/hauler on my truck for an upcoming DITY move? It runs about $400 and I'd actually being it to haul one of my motorcycles. I can be used as a generic hauler though, for cargo boxes, coolers, et cetera

Not sure for the DITY, but at tax time it goes as an unreimbursed moving expense.

[Pajaro]

Over in the sequestration thread, Sec Hagel is quoted as saying "We will also no longer reimburse for renter’s insurance." I've never heard of this reimbursement and can't find anything about it via Google. USAA sells the stuff, but I can't even find anything on their site about getting reimbursed for it. Anyone have any info about this?

[addict]

Over in the sequestration thread, Sec Hagel is quoted as saying "We will also no longer reimburse for renter’s insurance." I've never heard of this reimbursement and can't find anything about it via Google. USAA sells the stuff, but I can't even find anything on their site about getting reimbursed for it. Anyone have any info about this?

"In addition, the monthly BAH check provided to about 1 million service members will be cut further by eliminating the stipend for renters insurance that for years has been a key component in calculating BAH." -af times

https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/Docs/perdiem/BAH-Primer.pdf

Edited February 24, 2014 by addict

[Azimuth]

So will the current BAH rates freeze (due to debt protection), or will they undo the debt protection and lower them next year for everyone?

[WABoom]

Over in the sequestration thread, Sec Hagel is quoted as saying "We will also no longer reimburse for renter’s insurance." I've never heard of this reimbursement and can't find anything about it via Google. USAA sells the stuff, but I can't even find anything on their site about getting reimbursed for it. Anyone have any info about this?

It's actually already included in the BAH rate. It's not a seperate reimbursement.

[Finance_Guy]

It's actually already included in the BAH rate. It's not a seperate reimbursement.

Maybe Hagel should stop reimbursement for temp storage of HHGs during deployments. Sure the BAH can cover that cost. BAH is to pay for a Place for your Stuff. , oh, and for you too.

[BFM this]

Here's a new twist to an age-old problem: vicinity mileage around a TDY-enroute location with a non-a.

-Complicating the issue, I took my 10 days permissive after departing my loosing station, but before arriving at my TDY location. This led to my initial claim of vicinity mileage (24 miles round trip x 64 duty days) being denied, as Ellsworth thought that I was trying to claim my permissive mileage.

-Ok; refile. [You don't have vicinity mileage authorized on your orders.] Amendment generated.

-Ok; refile. Now they replied that I need to fill out a SF1164. With 64 duty days, that will actually take about 5 of them to cover the period.

Question: is this just a haze to get me to give up? I've claimed vicinity mileage plenty of times in the past, especially with a non-a. Never heard of this form. What gives?

[sky_king]

Question about Enroute TDYs with Dependents...

- What kind of mileage will I get reimbursed? The TDY rate or PCS rate? What about my wife's second car?

- How do I work my 5000 pound PCS PDITY in with my 600 pound allowance for the TDY? It's all going to be in the same trailer. How many weight tickets will I need?

- The stuff I'm not using for my TDY, I'm leaving in my trailer for 3 months. Can I put the trailer and everything in a storage yard, call it Storage In Transit (SIT) and be reimbursed for it?

Edited March 9, 2014 by sky_king

[Pajaro]

Fellas,

I am doing a PCS back to CONUS from Europe. I am having to go through a state dept TMO guy that just took over. He knows nothing about DOD moves. Anyway, my orders have no unaccompanied weight allowance printed on them. It just references the JFTR weight allowance chapter. I referenced this and it only says something about NTE 10% of total weight allowance.

Anyway, everytime in the past I've done an OCONUS move the USAF TMO people usually have a table/printout that says something like 01-04s=600 lbs. I have googled everywhere and can't find this or any source data. Movers come on monday AM so just throwing this out there to see if anyone has the gouge. I'm an 0-4 w/dep.

Sorry I´m 6 months late, but here´s a Ramstein TMO brief that answers your question in case someone else needs it:

https://www.ramstein.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-130424-008.pdf

For UAB, officers get 600lbs plus 350lbs for each dep 12 and older plus 175lbs for each dep under 12.

[olevelo]

Has anyone PCS'd without their wife, and then moved them several months later? TMO said I could do multiple shipments later on as long as I don't go over my weight allowance. Not sure about the travel voucher though (per diem, etc). Do I have to wait until she moves to file my voucher, or do two separate ones? I have no idea how long it will be. Any gotchas folks have seen?

Edited March 30, 2014 by olevelo

[Learjetter]

I've done that a couple times. Make sure everyone is on the orders, do a partial Dity, file Your voucher. Then use same orders w/TMO for the HH goods and file another voucher for her at that time. Only gotchas: everyone must be on the original orders and "later" must be within two yrs of your RNLTD.

[addict]

So Spang says $3400 and Aviano says $2100. I presented all the different prices to Ramstein, but they continued to say that they can get the ticket for $950. I emailed Aviano's quote to them, and it came from a TMO civilian they respected, so Ramstein gave him a call to see why he was so confused. He convinced Ramstein that $2100 is the right number, because it should be a price available at any time, not just in the next few days. I consider this a win, but am concerned that Ramstein doesn't understand the basics of PSC ticket pricing. Anyway, lesson learned; trust, but verify. Thanks for the help Aviano TMO!

edited to thank FinanceGuy for the GSA pricing link. My airport is so small that it doesn't have a city pair, but just knowing the website exists is a very good tool to have.

some links for official travel. Help you find your favorite airline by choosing the right airport first.

https://www.gsa.gov/citypairs

https://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/27228?utm_source=FAS&utm_medium=print-radio&utm_term=citypair&utm_campaign=shortcuts

I'm pretty sure Ramstein knows how to ticket people back to the USA.

[olevelo]

I've done that a couple times. Make sure everyone is on the orders, do a partial Dity, file Your voucher. Then use same orders w/TMO for the HH goods and file another voucher for her at that time. Only gotchas: everyone must be on the original orders and "later" must be within two yrs of your RNLTD.

When I called TMO they said it didn't matter how long it was, there was no time limit. At least that was the case for doing a second shipment. I didn't ask specifically about the travel part.

[Learjetter]

Good to hear. Hope it works out!

[Nineline]

FG or someone else in the know...

I'm leaving to Osan this summer on a 1 yr remote and I'm planning on moving my family to a designated location while I'm OCONUS. With that said, I have a few questions...

According to the JFTR U5120 H:

A unit member who is required to travel on a PCS from a CONUS PDS to an OCONUS PDS with the unit for an unaccompanied tour may escort dependents from the old PDS to a designated place, and return to the PDS before departure for the OCONUS PDS. This member is authorized round trip PCS allowances between the old PDS and the designated place; however, the allowable travel time for return to the PDS is limited to constructed travel time (par. U3005-A) as if the travel had been performed by GOV’T procured transportation.

1. Does this mean that I get travel days and per diem to accompany my family to their designated location (i.e. not charged leave)? And is the travel time based upon driving 350 miles/day plus one additional day to fly back to my PDS?

2. I believe that I'm allowed the standard house hunting PTDY time to relocate my family. Can I use this in conjunction with house hunting?

3. If my family chooses to fly to the designated location and I drive the vehicle, does this still apply? If so, will there be a change in travel time to the designated location?

4. I'd like to fly from the designated location direct to the outbound rotator, but the JFTR above states that I'm only allowed to return to the PDS meaning that I'll need another flight from my PDS to the rotator. Can this be avoided? The only answer TMO could give me was a LICWO letter and tell me that I'd have to pay the difference in airfare (if any).

Thanks,

-9-

[brabus]

Personally I'd take the LICWO route. The rotator to Osan is an ass pain; commercial direct to Seoul is the way to go. I bet there's a pretty solid chance you can book what you want and not pay a dime out of pocket, or if you do it'll be very minimal. I would take a serious look at it with SATO before you scoff that option.

[Nineline]

Personally I'd take the LICWO route. The rotator to Osan is an ass pain; commercial direct to Seoul is the way to go.

What's so bad about the rotator vs. flying commercial? On the surface, it seems that going direct to Osan instead of connecting through Narita and ending up at Incheon would be the way to go.

Please elaborate.

-9-

[Jaded]

You don't go direct to Osan. You go to Seattle, sit in SEA-TAC forever, then fly to Misawa, and sit there for hours and hours and hours, and then you fly to Osan. Commercial is way better.

[Lord Ratner]

Personally I'd take the LICWO route. The rotator to Osan is an ass pain; commercial direct to Seoul is the way to go. I bet there's a pretty solid chance you can book what you want and not pay a dime out of pocket, or if you do it'll be very minimal. I would take a serious look at it with SATO before you scoff that option.

Be advised, JFTR 5116d prohibits personally procuring tickets for trans oceanic PCS. you may get away with it, but if they know the regs, you'll eat the cost.

Bottom line, 11-217, 11-202, 11-2X-### vol 3, JFTR. Know them all.

[schokie]

I had MPF put on my orders that I was allowed to self procure up to the amount SATO would have paid. I was reimbursed up to that amount. Finance at my gaining base paid off the voucher with no complaints. Of course, that doesn't mean anyone involved knew the regs, so Lord Ratner is still correct.

Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

[Herk Driver]

Be advised, JFTR 5116d prohibits personally procuring tickets for trans oceanic PCS. you may get away with it, but if they know the regs, you'll eat the cost.

Bottom line, 11-217, 11-202, 11-2X-### vol 3, JFTR. Know them all.

JFTR para U5116E may apply.

BL: make sure your orders specify whatever you work out and this should not be a problem

Posted from the NEW Baseops.net App!

[brabus]

Be advised, JFTR 5116d prohibits personally procuring tickets for trans oceanic PCS. you may get away with it, but if they know the regs, you'll eat the cost.

Don't confuse "personal procurement" with using SATO. "PP" is using expedia, booking with the airline directly, etc. You can use LICWO, book through SATO and be fully reimbursed, even when your orders have the JTFR "overseas PP" statement. The only possible drawback is SATO will be more limited in choices than just going online, but overall I've only had one really shitty itinerary from them.

Jaded shacked the reason for commercial travel over rotator.

Edited April 26, 2014 by brabus

[Azimuth]

I have a PPM question that I got two different answers from TMO (standard). I'm PCSing the beginning of July, however I'm doing house hunting the middle in the middle of June. I'm driving one of my POV's up there to do the house hunting. While I go up there I'm also taking my pets and some of my HHG's. Once I get a place at my new assignment, I'm leaving my pets with some friends, HHG I brought with me, and my POV there, and flying back to my current assignment. A few weeks later when I out process my current base I'm driving a moving truck and trailering my second POV with me.

My question is do I get reimbursed (weight at least) for the first trip I make with my first POV since I'm taking some of my HHG's with me? Or do I only get reimbursed when I move the rest of my stuff in the moving truck?