We are going to have a relatively quick post today. Why? Because the topic I’m introducing (the Joint Travel Regulations) is actually a massive program. Way too much to cover in one post. This post is just to let you know that the JTR exists, show you where to find it, and let you know some of the major topics contained within it. So I’m just going to do a quick introductory post now, then over time I will add more posts about specific topics.
The Joint Travel Regulations
So just what are the Joint Travel Regulations?
First and foremost, the JTR is a 702-page, 10-chapter regulation covering all manner of information for Department of Defense travel. It is applicable to all uniformed members of the United States Uniformed Services (that’s Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and Public Health Service Commissioned Corps) as well as DoD civilians and others traveling at DoD expense. Are you a military spouse? That means this covers you, too.
The current version was published on October 1, 2018. If you are looking for the JTR after October 1, 2019 you should ensure you are looking at the newest version – they come out every fiscal year.
The JTR covers all kinds of things related to military travel. PCS reimbursements? Yep. Dislocation Allowance? Uh huh. Per diem for temporary duty? You betcha.
If you are going to be doing anything in the military involving moving between locations, whether the movement is temporary or permanent, you are going to want to be familiar with this document.
Wait, Shouldn’t My Finance Office Handle That?
Well, yes and no.
Your finance office is going to be able to help you if, for instance, you aren’t getting reimbursed for PCS expenses.
::cough:: mine took 2.5 months to pay out this time ::cough::
But I’ve had a surprising amount of finance people tell me they shouldn’t be trusted to know what’s in the JTR. And when I was getting ready to PCS this summer I asked a clarification question about something I’d read in the JTR and none of the four finance folks I was talking to had ever heard of that particular issue. And it was a really common thing! (whether your government travel card should be used for PCS expenses)
So bottom line, for better or for worse: if you want your travel pay and reimbursements to be completed correctly, you need to be at least a little familiar with this document. Don’t trust that someone else is going to take care of you. Your money, your responsibility.
For better or for worse.
What Does the Joint Travel Regulations Include?
Like I said, the JTR covers a wide variety of topics. It gets into the nitty gritty on things you maybe haven’t thought of, like how much of your temporary lodging expenses will be reimbursed (spoiler alert: it’s not necessarily 100%).
The main chapters in the Joint Travel Regulations cover:
- General Policy (types of travel, GTC, DTS, financial rules, etc)
- Standard Travel and Transportation Allowances (how and how much you will be paid for travel, household goods rules, etc)
- TDY Travel (what it is, different reasons for TDYs, leave in conjunction with TDY, etc)
- Government-Funded Leave (yeah, sometimes they pay for your leave)
- Permanent Duty Travel (all the money stuff related to a PCS)
- Evacuation Travel (think this will never apply to you? One word from recent news: hurricanes)
- Cost of Living Allowance in the Continental United States (yes it does exist it’s just not very common)
- Cost of Living Allowance Outside the Continental United States and Temporary Lodging Allowance (for those of you lucky enough to get overseas assignments)
- Housing Allowances (everybody’s favorite topic)
As you can see, there is a lot to go through. And every one of those topics has subtopics galore. Hence why I’m not going to try to cram them into a single post! Heck, I probably couldn’t cram them into 20 posts. Not if I want you to actually understand them.
So that’s all for now. I’ll be breaking out some of the subtopics in upcoming posts, starting with a real quirky one that you’ve probably never even considered.
How to make the most money on a PCS, and what you’re entitled to with a PCS.