R 201400Z SEP 23
MARADMIN 470/23
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC L LP WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/AMPLIFYING PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS) INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROCURING LEISURE AIRLINE TICKETS FOR CIRCUITOUS AND LEAVE IN CONJUNCTION WITH OFFICIAL (LICWO) TRAVEL//
REF/A/JOINT TRAVEL REGULATIONS DATED 1 AUG 2023//
REF/B/DEFENSE TRANSPORTATION REGULATION 4500.9-R, PART 1, PASSENGER MOVEMENT//
REF/C/MCO 4600.7A DATED 12 OCT 2021//
NARR/REF A IS THE CURRENT MONTHLY EDITION OF THE JOINT TRAVEL REGULATIONS AND IS THE SOURCE FOR ENTITLEMENTS AND ALLOWANCES FOR UNIFORMED SERVICE MEMBERS, DOD CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, AND THEIR AUTHORIZED DEPENDENTS/FAMILY MEMBERS. REF B IMPLEMENTS DOD POLICIES GOVERNING THE USE OF DOD-OWNED AND-CONTROLLED AIRCRAFT AND SEALIFT/AIRLIFT AND ESTABLISHES CRITERIA FOR MOBILITY MOVEMENT. REF C IS MARINE CORPS ORDER FOR THE PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM.//
POC/M. A. EDWARDS/CIV/LPD-2/(571)388-8031/EMAIL: MARK.A.EDWARDS5@USMC.MIL//
POC/J. C. HENDRIX/CIV/LPD-2/(703)946-7660/EMAIL: JULIE.HENDRIX@USMC.MIL//
POC/K. A. CERNY/CIV/MPO/(703) 784-9387/EMAIL: KERRY.CERNY@USMC.MIL//
POC/K. E. PROPHETE/CIV/MPO/(703)784-9387/EMAIL: KHARL.E.PROPHETE@USMC.MIL//
POC/K. A. HOGAN/LTCOL/MMIB-3/(703)784-9333/EMAIL: KERRY.HOGAN@USMC.MIL//
POC/D. G. FUQUA/CIV/RFF/(703)432-9813/EMAIL: DAVID.FUQUA@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. Purpose. This message announces a new option when procuring leisure airline tickets in accordance with reference (a) for Circuitous or Leave Conjunction with Official (LICWO) Travel incident to conducting a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move.
2. Situation.
2.a. This MARADMIN is applicable to all Marines and civil United States Marine Corps civilian employees (defined as travelers throughout the text of this message) and details the alternative method to procure leisure airline tickets for circuitous or LICWO Travel.
2.b. Current policy limits a traveler to exchanging an official airline ticket for a leisure airline ticket via the Travel Management Company (TMC). Currently, this limitation restricts travelers to the use of one commercial airline carrier, subsequently limiting a traveler's destination options when executing leave.
2.c. Example of the current policy: a traveler is executing PCS travel from San Diego, CA to the Washington, DC area, and the designated General Services Administration (GSA) City Pair Carrier is United Airlines. If the traveler wants to execute LICWO travel for personal convenience, the current policy restricts travel to only locations that United Airlines services.
3. Mission.
3.a. Effective immediately, travelers are now authorized to self-procure leisure airline tickets through their servicing Travel Management Company (TMC) using any U.S. flag carrier and are responsible for all up-front out-of-pocket expenses. Travelers will be reimbursed to the government's cost of normal direct point-to-point routing for official travel. All offsetting expenses will be reconciled and reimbursed through the PCS travel claim process.
3.b. Example of new option: a traveler is executing PCS travel from San Diego, CA to the Washington, DC area, and the designated GSA City Pair Carrier is United Airlines. The traveler may now be authorized to self-procure their own leisure airline tickets on any U.S. flag carrier to include their servicing locations, if they pay their total trip costs up front and out of pocket to their next Permanent Duty Station (PDS), via their desired leave location, utilizing a contracted TMC.
3.c. The leisure airline ticket-exchange policy will remain as an option.
4. Execution.
4.a. For military personnel and authorized dependents requesting to execute transoceanic OCONUS circuitous travel, IAW references (b) and (c), to a location where an Air Mobility Command-Patriot Express (AMC-PE) channel mission exists, the military personnel and authorized dependents must obtain an AMC-PE statement of non-availability prior to requesting transoceanic OCONUS circuitous travel approval from HQMC M&RA (MMIB-3), and the request for approval must be submitted between 30-45 days prior to the commencement of travel. For civil service personnel and authorized dependents approval is from their Authorizing Official (AO).
4.b. Additionally, the travelers must endorse a Statement of Understanding (SOU) prior to execution and submit this document with their final PCS travel claim. At a minimum, The SOU will contain the following: (1) understanding and acknowledgment that the use of government contracted city fares, and other government fares, to/from leave location(s) is prohibited, (2) understanding and acknowledgment that the use of foreign flag carriers is prohibited when U.S. flag carriers are available for official travel over the authorized normal routes, (3) understanding and acknowledgment that any costs exceeding the Government Constructed Cost (GCC) for official travel is a personal expense.
4.c. Travelers will use a personal credit card to self-procure the leisure airline ticket(s) via the TMC.
4.d. When leisure travel is authorized, the servicing TMC will issue the leisure airline tickets directly to the traveler, and the DMO will provide the traveler with a GCC memorandum (depicting the GCC at the time of travel) to support the settlement of their PCS travel claim.
4.e. Upon completion of travel, travelers will file for travel reimbursement expenses (for airfare) at their next PDS. Travelers are required to attach all travel receipts, Statement of Non-Availability, SOU, and GCC. Reimbursement will be limited to the amount of the GCC.
5. Administration and Logistics.
5.a. This MARADMIN is applicable to the Total Force.
5.b. Personnel that require assistance with leisure travel should contact their local DMO.
6. Command and Signal.
6.a. Release authorized by BGen Forrest C. Poole III, Assistant Deputy Commandant, Installations and Logistics (LP).//