R 191815Z JAN 12

ALCOAST 029/12
COMDTNOTE 7500
SUBJ: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR TEMPORARY DUTY (TDY) TRAVEL ORDER -
WARNING ORDER
A. FINANCIAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MANUAL (FRMM), COMDTINST M7100.3
(SERIES)
B. ALCGFINANCE 043/10 - INTERIM OBLIGATION POLICY FY 2011
C. JOINT FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS (JFTR), VOLUME 1
D. FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS (FTR)
E. ALCGFINANCE 046/11 - MONTHLY FINANCIAL AUDIT STATUS UPDATE -
DECEMBER 2011
1. THIS WARNING ORDER IS ISSUED IN ADVANCE OF IMPLEMENTING
ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES OVER TDY TRAVEL OBLIGATION POLICY AND PROPOSED
CORRECTIVE ACTIONS THAT INCLUDE SYSTEMATIC ENHANCEMENTS TO THE TPAX
TRAVEL SYSTEM AND CORE FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING SYSTEM (CAS). THESE
ACTIONS WILL PROHIBIT DIRECT DISBURSEMENT OF APPROPRIATED FUNDS
WITHOUT AN EXISTING OBLIGATION IN THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
CURRENT OBLIGATION AND TRAVEL POLICIES ARE FOUND IN REFERENCES A - E.
2. IN FY 2011, THE CG RECEIVED AUDIT FINDINGS ADDRESSING OUR
INABILITY TO APPROPRIATELY RECORD AND REPORT OBLIGATIONS AND
UNDELIVERED ORDERS (UDOS) AS NOTED BY DISCOVERY OF THE USE OF
NUMEROUS ONE DOLLAR OBLIGATIONS FOR TRAVEL ORDERS IN LIEU OF ACTUAL
COST PROJECTIONS. IN FY 2011 THERE WERE OVER 30,000 INSTANCES WHERE A
TRAVEL RELATED EXPENSE DID NOT HAVE AN APPROPRIATE OBLIGATION
RECORDED IN THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. THIS GROSSLY UNDERSTATES
OBLIGATIONS ON THE STATEMENT OF BUDGETARY RESOURCES AND PREVENTS
UNITS FROM EXERCISING EFFECTIVE FUNDS CONTROL.
3. INAPPROPRIATE TRAVEL OBLIGATION PRACTICES CAUSE SIGNIFICANT
MISSTATEMENTS ON OFFICIAL FINANCIAL REPORTS. THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME
OF THE MOST COMMON:
    A. DIRECT EXPENDITURES - TRAVEL CLAIMS PAID WITHOUT A
CORRESPONDING OBLIGATION RECORDED IN THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
- THIS INCLUDES MORE THAN 2,000 INSTANCES SO FAR IN FY 2012.
    B. GROUP TRAVEL ORDERS - GENERATING ONE SET OF TRAVEL ORDERS FOR
MULTIPLE TRAVELERS.
    C. GROSSLY MISESTIMATED TRAVEL ORDERS - THIS INCLUDES MORE THAN
150 INSTANCES OF ONE DOLLAR ORDERS IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF FY
2012.
    D. BLANKET - ANNUAL ORDERS - CONTINUOUS TRAVEL ORDERS WERE ISSUED
FOR INFREQUENT TRAVEL.
    E. TRAVEL APPROVING OFFICIALS (AOS) ARE APPROVING TRAVEL ORDERS
WITH ERRONEOUS TONOS OR LINES OF ACCOUNTING.
4. ACTION:
    A. COMMANDING OFFICERS, COMMANDERS AND OINC(S) SHALL ENSURE
COMPLIANCE WITH REFERENCES A - E.
    B. FUNDS MANAGERS, TRAVEL AOS, AND YEOMEN AND STOREKEEPERS
PROCESSING TRAVEL ORDERS AND CLAIMS SHALL REVIEW REFERENCES A - E AND
ENSURE ALL TDY TRAVEL ORDERS (DOCS 11 AND 13) ARE APPROPRIATELY
OBLIGATED IN FPD.
5. FUTURE COMMUNICATION WILL BE PROVIDED IN THE FORM OF ALCGFINANCE
ACTION ORDERS THAT ADDRESS SPECIFIC INAPPROPRIATE FINANCIAL PRACTICES
WITH CORRECTIVE ACTIONS, RESULTS OF SYSTEMATIC MONITORING, AND
COMMAND NOTIFICATIONS OF NONCOMPLIANCE.
6. POC: FOR QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS WARNING ORDER, CONTACT CDR TONY
ALARID, TONY.J.ALARID(AT)USCG.MIL.
7. MS. MARGO SHERIDAN, DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL OPERATIONS/COMPTROLLER,
SENDS.
8. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.