Really really big and important vent

[Katydid]

OK, you know about Government Travel Cards, right? Well, basically the way they work is this....

you get orders
you go TDY
you use the card
you turn in a Travel Voucher
you get reimbursed
you pay travel card

Simple right. NO!!! Not for my husband at least. See the military has these things called blanket TDY orders. They are for people who are in positions that get sent TDY frequently. In my husband's case, weekly if not more.

So the situation, a General came over here with a bumble up his hoohoo and decided that this was costing the Government too much money to allow blanket orders, so he recinded all of them. Now, my husband gets MAYBE 2 weeks notice before going TDY on a SCHEDULED TRIP!! The problem is that he has to leave often without NOTICE!! So that means putting in orders retroactively. So now, without blanket TDY orders, it is taking up to 2 weeks to recieve ANY orders for the TDY's he is doing. Turn around and go through the whole process of recieving reimbursement and well....he hasn't recieved reimbursment for any TDY's after Jan. So now, Bank of America was just threatening to shut off his card. We had to pay them OUT OF POCKET!! Now this one was only $42, but the next one is OVER $400. We CANNOT afford to play this game. I am so upset, I was just crying because it is getting to the point of choosing to either feed the kids or send him TDY which he is REQUIRED TO DO!!!! This is absolutely unacceptable and ridiculuous. This General decides he doesn't like the idea of something and changes it for EVERYONE without looking at the affect to those people who truly NEED those orders.

Now, just so you don't think that I am being naive and my husband is spending the money or something, it goes in by Direct Deposit, and I manage the checkbook. I also understand the system as I used to be active duty. This is JUST WRONG!!!

OK so now I have vented and honestly don't feel any better. But, thanks for listening anyway. By the way, if any of you are married to or are a JAG officer or an IG, I would love for you to tell me what we should do.

 

[Seekeraftertruth]

Hopefully your husband is near retirement? I learned long ago there is no cure for military imcompetence. [Whoever coined the term 'military intelligence' had to be smoking that funny stuff!]

Pray for strength, or better yet, pray the General gets transferred!

 

[LostnFound]

All I can tell you is that my DH doesn't have one anymore! We went through a similar insane scenario, and BoA cut off his card. Now, he has to get advance travel pay, which is always a fiasco, as was the BoA card! 2 years to retirement and counting!!!!!!

 

[daveleau]

Katydid,
Thank you for serving and thanks to your DH for his service. (I know you are not in the military, but that does not mean that you are not serving, because the member is not the only one in service.)

Why not talk to the Jag guys on base? I will say that with the recent funding cuts, things are changing. Hopefully, they will begin to get better again in October.

God bless,
Dave

 

[Katydid]

Thank you.

As far as JAG, we were considering it, but the situation gets complicated from there. We are trying to work with the S-3, basically what is happening is the Division guy who approves orders is not approving any. He doesn't like the fact that he gets them after the fact, but with my husband's job, this is a normal event. My husband is putting together a folder to take to both JAG and the IG to get someone to do something. We shall see.

 

[JamesBell]

You all are going to have to go to JAG is the commander won't listen. Although, I would really try to get the S-3 to go to the new CO and show him why his plan doesn't work in all situations. It probably won't happen, but there is a chance that he will change his mind.

 

[ezing]

Your Congressman and Senators will be interested in this election issue. I suggest you contact them.

 

[BourbonFromHeaven]

Try your chain of command first, before going JAG or IG. They should be more then willing to sort this out.

 

[Sybaris]

Hopefully your husband is near retirement? I learned long ago there is no cure for military imcompetence. [Whoever coined the term 'military intelligence' had to be smoking that funny stuff!]

Pray for strength, or better yet, pray the General gets transferred!

Non-starter

Incompetence is found in all walks of life.

An adage followed by many professional Soldiers and Sailors is to leave something better than you found it. Bailing out on the situation lacks integrity.

However, I do agree that the Gov' credit cards were a bad idea. I was stationed overseas for a long time and the time lag in mail often resulted in many members getting late notices and unwarranted attention.

Some chose to just pay expenses out of pocket and turn in receipts with their travel claims.

 

[Visum Cuspis]

Is the problem that you're not able to file your voucher because you don't have the orders? In my experience, once I file the voucher it takes less than a week for the money to be deposited in my account. And I usually get my voucher signed and submitted to finance the day after I return from my TDY. If it's taking longer than that, the problem is either your husband's finance office or your husband isn't filing his voucher soon enough. (I'm active duty air force)