Every Commissioned Corps Bulletin, DCCPR will strive to provide important up to date information related to travel policies, procedures, rate updates and any travel alerts. This month we would like to explain the documents that how rules of travel are determined, and how the authorizations differ from civilian travel authorizations and how they are implemented and communicated to you.

• Q.
• What guidelines or policies provide the authorizations for a Uniformed Services member to travel?
  
• A.
• The Joint Federal Travel Regulations (JFTR) are the guidance regulations for all Uniformed Services to provide authorizations for their members travel. The Military Advisory Panel publishes the JFTR and all required changes, in conjunctions with the Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Committee and each Service.
  
• Q.
• What is the Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Committee (PDTATAC)?
  
• A.
• The PDTATAC mission is to ensure that travel and transportation regulations are, as far as practicable, uniform for all of the uniformed services, and uniform in implementing the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) for DoD civilian employees IAW DoDD 5154.29. The working level operation of the Committee is carried out through two advisory panels, one for military (Military Advisory Panel or MAP) and one for civilian (Civilian Advisory Panel or CAP). The panel members belong to their respective services and represent their principals on the Committee.
• Q.
• What is the Military Advisory Panel (MAP)?
  
• A.
• The MAP is comprised of panel members which belong to their respective services and represent their principals on the Committee. The JFTR/JTR is revised and updated monthly. Changes are initiated by a MAP/CAP member, PDTATAC staff, and/or outside Agencies/Commands via a MAP/CAP member, or the result of, changes to the law and Service/DoD policy.
• Q.
• What are the provisions in the JFTR?
  
• A.
• The Joint Federal Travel Regulations, Volume 1 pertain to per diem, travel and transportation allowances, housing allowances (BAH, FSH, and OHA), relocation allowances, station allowances (COLA, TLA), CONUS COLA, and certain other allowances of Uniformed Service Active Duty and Reserve Component members. The Uniformed Services are the DoD Services, Coast Guard (DHS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps (NOAA Corps) (Department of Commerce), and U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps (HHS).
• Q.
• What is the FTR?
  
• A.
• The FTR is the Federal Travel Regulations.
• Q.
• Can a Uniformed Services member be held to provisions of the FTR?
  
• A.
• No. A federal travel regulation is strictly for the civil service and for DoD civilian employees IAW DoDD 5154.29. While the Joint Federal travel Regulations is for the seven uniformed services. If your Agency, Shipping Officer, or Agency Travel Coordinator is applying the FTR to you as a Corps officer, you must advise that they use the JFTR in calculating entitlements.
• Q.
• Is there a way to access and view the JFTR?
  
• A.
• Yes, you can access the JFTR using the following link. http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/travelreg.cfm
• Q.
• Is there an abridged version of the JFTR?
  
• A.
• Please be advised that the JFTR is a rather complex document that can be challenging to navigate. The Corps has developed a summary of the entitlements available to you and has consolidated these as well as other important information related to travel on our Travel and Transportation Website, which can be found here http://ccmis.usphs.gov/CCMIS/Travel/contents.aspx