R 132033Z MAR 12 ALCOAST 121/12 COMDTNOTE 7500 SUBJ: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR TEMPORARY DUTY (TDY) TRAVEL ORDER - ACTION ORDER TWO A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 191815Z JAN 12/ALCOAST 029/12 B. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 021732Z FEB 12/ ALCOAST 045/12 C. ALCGFINANCE 004/12 - INTERIM OBLIGATION POLICY FY 2012 D. PERSONNEL AND PAY PROCEDURES MANUAL, PPCINST M1000.2 (SERIES) E. COAST GUARD SUPPLEMENT TO JOINT FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATION (JFTR) VOL. 1, COMDTINST M4600.17 (SERIES) F. GOVERNMENT TRAVEL CHARGE CARD (GTCC) PROGRAM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, COMDINST M4600.18 (SERIES) 1. THIS IS THE SECOND ACTION ORDER PROMULGATED IN SUPPORT OF REFS A THROUGH C. ACTION ORDER ONE CLARIFIED POLICY FOR ELIMINATING DIRECT EXPENDITURES IN THE FINANCIAL SYSTEMS BY ENSURING THAT OBLIGATIONS ARE RECORDED PRIOR TO TRAVEL AND THAT OBLIGATED AMOUNTS ARE VERIFIED PRIOR TO TRAVEL SETTLEMENT. 2. THIS ACTION ORDER MANDATES COMPLIANCE WITH CURRENT POLICY REGARDING DOCUMENT TYPE 13 (DOC 13) OBLIGATIONS. CURRENTLY 11 PERCENT OF TDY ORDERS ISSUED ARE DOC 13S, YET THEY ACCOUNT FOR 51 PERCENT OF ALL TRAVEL-RELATED DIRECT EXPENDITURES. WHILE THERE ARE BONA FIDE REASONS FOR ISSUING BLANKET TRAVEL ORDERS, QUERIES INDICATE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF DOC 13 ORDERS ARE ISSUED FOR LESS THAN FREQUENT TRAVEL. TWO THIRDS OF ALL DOC 13S ISSUED HAD THREE OR FEWER SETTLEMENTS WITH ALMOST ONE THIRD HAVING ONLY ONE SETTLEMENT ISSUED. 3. IN ACCORDANCE WITH REFS D AND E, THERE ARE TWO RELEVANT CLASSES OF DOC 13S. A. A TRIP-BY-TRIP DOC 13 IS CREATED FOR LONG TERM TRAVEL BY CENTRAL ISSUING AUTHORITIES SUCH AS TQC, PSC AND DXR FOR EXTENDED A AND C SCHOOLS AND RESERVE ORDERS. THOSE ISSUING SUCH DOC 13S MAY CONTINUE FOLLOWING EXISTING PROCEDURES IN COMPLIANCE WITH REFS B AND C. B. A BLANKET-TYPE DOC 13 APPLIES TO PLANNED FREQUENT TRAVEL AWAY FROM PERMANENT STATION WITHIN A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHICAL LIMIT AND FOR A SPECIFIC TIME PERIOD WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR. THIS ALCOAST DIRECTS COMPLIANCE WITH EXISTING POLICY FOR BLANKET-TYPE DOC 13S. C. NOTE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF F, 1.C.(1), ANY TRAVEL IN EXCESS OF 21 DAYS REQUIRING INTERIM CLAIM SUBMISSION MAY BE ISSUED AS A DOC 13. 4. IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF D, BLANKET DOC 13 ORDERS SHOULD BE ISSUED MONTHLY WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS: A. QUARTERLY ORDERS MAY BE ISSUED WHEN A MEMBER WILL BE IN A TRAVEL STATUS FOR 30 OUT THE 90 DAYS OF THE QUARTER. B. ORDERS LONGER THAN ONE QUARTER MAY BE ISSUED WHEN A MEMBER WILL BE IN TRAVEL STATUS FOR SIX MONTHS OR MORE DURING THE FY. 5. IT IS INCUMBENT UPON ISSUING AUTHORITY, AUTHORIZING OFFICIALS, ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCE PERSONNEL, AND TRAVELERS TO FOLLOW TDY TRAVEL POLICY WHEN PREPARING AND OBLIGATING TRAVEL ORDERS. WHEN ISSUED, DOC 13 ORDERS COMPEL CLOSE AND FREQUENT MONITORING OF DISBURSEMENTS AND BALANCES OF THE OBLIGATION. IN MOST CASES, UNITS WILL FIND THAT ISSUING DOCUMENT TYPE 11 (DOC 11) TDY ORDERS FOR EACH TRIP WILL BE MORE EFFICIENT. 6. ACTION: A. ALL COAST GUARD AREA, DISTRICT, AND UNIT COMMANDERS, AND ALL COMMANDING OFFICERS, OFFICERS-IN-CHARGE, ASSISTANT COMMANDANTS, CHIEFS OF HEADQUARTERS STAFF ELEMENTS, COMMANDING OFFICERS OF HEADQUARTERS UNITS, AND OFFICE CHIEFS ARE ENTRUSTED WITH AND RESPONSIBLE FOR FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND SHALL COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING: (1) REVIEW SECTION 2.B.1 THROUGH 2.B.2 AND SECTION 2.B.13 OF REF D TO ENSURE FAMILIARITY WITH PROPER TRAVEL ORDER PROCESSES, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITHIN RESPECTIVE AORS. (2) IF A UNIT ANTICIPATES THAT A MEMBER WILL TRAVEL EXTENSIVELY DURING THE UPCOMING CYCLE, A DOC 13 BLANKET ORDER MAY BE ISSUED FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME DENOTED IN REFERENCE D. UNITS SHALL CLOSELY SCRUTINIZE A MEMBERS PLANNED TRAVEL AND ASSOCIATED OBLIGATIONS AND ISSUE DOC 11 TRAVEL ORDERS IN LIEU OF DOC 13S IF APPROPRIATE. (3) WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DIRECT ACCESS FEED DESCRIBED IN 3.A, ALL NEWLY ISSUED DOC 13 BLANKET ORDERS SHALL BE CREATED AND APPROVED IN THE FPD - REQUISITIONS - TRAVEL ORDER MODULE. USERS SHALL LEAVE THE SSN LINE BLANK AND APPEND THE TRAVELERS EMPLID NUMBER ADJACENT TO THEIR NAME. THE GLOBAL USE OF FPD FACILITATES SYSTEMATIC MONITORING AND TESTING OF TRAVEL ORDERS. ALL OTHER METHODS FOR CREATING DOC 13 BLANKET ORDERS, INCLUDING THE FPD - SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION - MISCELLANEOUS MODULE, ARE DISAPPROVED. (4) CONDUCT A RIGOROUS REVIEW OF EXISTING, OUTSTANDING DOC 13 TRAVEL ORDERS. ANY CURRENTLY ISSUED DOC 13 BLANKET ORDERS THAT EXTEND BEYOND ONE MONTH FROM THE DATE OF THIS MESSAGE SHALL BE IMMEDIATELY CANCELLED WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS: (A) THE MEMBERS ANTICIPATED TRAVEL MEETS THE EXCEPTION REQUIREMENTS IN PARAGRAPH 4 AND THE ORDERS WERE CREATED IN THE FPD - REQUISITIONS - TRAVEL ORDERS MODULE. (B) THE MEMBER IS CURRENTLY IN A TRAVEL STATUS ON THE EXISTING DOC 13 TRAVEL ORDER. IN THIS CASE, THE ORDERS SHALL BE CLOSED IMMEDIATELY UPON THE MEMBERS RETURN. (5) ORDERS SHALL BE OBLIGATED WITH AN APPROPRIATE ESTIMATE THAT FACTORS IN ALL COSTS OF THE VALUE OF THE TDY TRAVEL. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION SHALL BE MAINTAINED IAW REF C. THE AO CHECKLIST IS AN EXCELLENT TOOL TO ASSIST TRAVELERS AND AOS IDENTIFY ALL ASSOCIATED TRAVEL COSTS AND CAN BE FOUND AT: HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/PPC/TRAVEL/AOCHECKLIST.PDF. THE TDY TRAVEL REQUEST WORKSHEET, FORM CG-2070, ADDITIONALLY LINKS TRAVELERS AND AOS TO VALID COST ESTIMATE RESOURCES. (6) IN ALL CASES, AOS MUST VERIFY PROPER OBLIGATIONS EXIST IN FPD PRIOR TO APPROVING TRAVEL SETTLEMENTS IN TPAX. B. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OFFICES (RMOS) SHALL WORK WITH THE UNITS UNDER THEIR FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL TO RESOLVE UNAUTHORIZED TRANSACTIONS. COMDT (CG-8C) WILL PROVIDE ONGOING COMMUNICATION VIA ALCOAST ACTION ORDERS THAT IDENTIFY AND REMEDIATE SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF IDENTIFIED NONCOMPLIANCE. C. UNITS ARE DIRECTED TO FOLLOW EXISTING TRAVEL POLICY AND IMPLEMENT CORRECTIVE ACTIONS IF DEVIATIONS EXIST. D. COMDT (CG-8) IS ACUTELY AWARE THAT THE MAJORITY OF TRAVEL POLICY VIOLATIONS ARE INADVERTENT, RESULTING FROM LONGSTANDING CULTURAL WEAKNESSES AND TRAINING DEFICIENCIES. WE ARE EXCEEDINGLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO ASSESS THE SCOPE OF THE CHALLENGE AND CHART A COURSE FORWARD. 7. POC: FOR QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS ACTION ORDER, CONTACT LCDR SUSAN MAITRE, SUSAN.M.MAITRE(AT)USCG.MIL. 8. MS. MARGO SHERIDAN, DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL OPERATIONS/COMPTROLLER, SENDS. 9. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.