ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Air Force Reserve Command is continuing steps to prepare for the transition to a single travel management system which, when completed Oct. 1, 2023, will mark a transformational effort for the command.
The initiative to transition all commercial travel arrangements to the Defense Travel System was announced in a memo to all Airmen in March by Lt. Gen. John Healy, chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command.
“At its core, this initiative will help ensure our members get paid in a timely manner whenever they are traveling in support of our global mission,” said Col. Shannon Thompson, AFRC’s director of financial management and comptroller. “This is also a significant step to better align us with our active-duty counterparts and should help prepare us to integrate with MyTravel in the future.”
While DTS is operational throughout the Reserve today, many Airmen conduct official travel using orders produced in AROWS-R and vouchers that are submitted for payment upon completion of duty through the Reserve Travel System. Consolidating to a single platform for the full range of travel management support is intended to ensure a smoother travel and pay process for all Citizen Airmen.
“We see this as an opportunity for the command to be innovative,” said Thompson. “It also allows our units more flexibility to take care of their Airmen and ensure they get paid in a timely manner without having to rely on financial management specialists who are thousands of miles away to review and approve vouchers.”
Specialists from AFRC will be available for tailored on-site training with leadership, squadron commanders and other members down to the end user to help prepare for the merger.
“This initiative will be a slight adjustment for Airmen who are accustomed to using RTS,” said Wendy Bellamy, chief of AFRC’s Financial Services Branch. “Our DTS specialists at headquarters will provide in-person training to lead defense travel administrators throughout the command. Additionally, we are offering mobile training teams to provide hands-on training on the planning changes to ensure a smooth transition in the new fiscal year.”
After implementation, AROWS-R will continue to be used to produce the orders required to reflect the “call to duty” activations via the AF Form 938 for Citizen Airmen. The travel authorization and voucher will be managed exclusively through DTS for the defined group and published via DD Form 1610 for non-PCS travel.
To request virtual or hands-on training on the planned changes associated with the implementation, contact the DTS Transition Team at afrc.fmworkflow@us.af.mil.
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.20.2023 16:29 |
| Story ID: | 449666 |
| Location: | GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 79 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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