F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- With summer here, many Airmen are getting ready to leave F.E. Warren as they move on to new bases or head to a temporary duty assignment.
Leaving a duty station can be daunting, as Airmen get overwhelmed attempting to complete checklists while continuing to do their mission. When things get tough, the 90th Comptroller Squadron is here to help.
CPTS offers help to all Airmen who received Permanent Change of Station orders as well as those going on TDY. Before PCSing, CPTS is a primary stop to ensure money matters are correct.
“CPTS puts members in a transit status and ensures that entitlements are not overpaid while traveling in route to their next duty station,” said Airman 1st Class Cheryl Lunt, 90th CPTS budget analyst. “If members do not properly out-process with finance, they will be overpaid and receive a debt notification at their next duty station.”
Finance works to ensure members are on the right foot when they arrive at their next duty station, which includes briefing individuals on entitlements such as dislocation allowance, per diem and mileage, Lunt said.
After traveling, it is recommended to visit the new finance office to fix any pay issues early on.
“When members get to their new base, it's important to in process with finance within five duty days to avoid a debt and to receive the correct BAH rate (for the new area),” Lunt said. “If members do not in-process, they could be losing out on a whole lot of money for their PSC.”
Finance also warns against people forgetting about their government travel card payments while they PCS.
“You should know when your GTC is due especially around PCS season because vouchers can take up to 45 business days to pay out and you don’t want to become delinquent,” Lunt said.
There are also several TDY tips CPTS encourages Airmen be in the know about. One of the biggest hurdles Airmen face is using the Defense Travel System website correctly, said Senior Airman Ryan Beck, 90th CPTS financial systems technician. One of the errors falls with documenting travels.
“The common mistakes are that the members don't always provide the correct receipts or claim an expense that is not authorized,” Beck said.
In order to get properly reimbursed, DTS requires everything to have a receipt, he said. Losing out on money isn’t something people like.
To make sure people are trained on DTS and to help smooth over use, an Organizational Defense Travel Administrator is assigned to each squadron.
“Finance has a list of the ODTAs in each squadron that a member can go to if they need assistance with DTS,” Beck said. “The ODTA will contact finance if they need assistance or have questions on authorizations or vouchers.”
For those who would like to learn more about the system, visit the travel explorer website, also known as TraX, to get information. There is a link located on the DTS login page, just look for the muddy boot print on the left hand side of the page.
Though it is on a checklist, CPTS should not just be a place where people visit to check a box. There are many Airmen who can help smooth out many of the PCS and TDY issues.
“Members are more than welcome to stop by at finance to talk,” Lunt said. “If a member is unsure about something, they should not ask someone not in finance because the information provided could be wrong. We are here to help.”
For more information or to get questions answered, visit the finance section or call 773-1851.