Are soldiers required to have a Government Travel Card?

As soldiers we're required to go on training and sometimes we just don't have the money to pay for the cost. That's where the GTC card comes in. It shoulders the cost so that we may be able to accomplish our mission.

If you travel under the JTR, you must use a GTCC and utilize split disbursement to repay the card charges. Them's the rules. That aside, there is good reason for this. The mission can Beverly be impacted by your financial situation. If you need to go TDY for a month, does it really matter whether or not you could personally afford 30 nights at a hotel somewhere? Let's say you could and did charge all those hotel nights to your personal card and then got a big fat check and spent it on everything but repayment? The rules are there to fund the mission and ensure that the traveler incurs no financial hardship due to its execution.

The new JFTR Joint Force Travel Tegulation requires that you have one or else you pretty much can not travel and get reimbursed for this like airline tickets and lodging.

In today's Army you must get one to attend schools. Most senior NCOs don't use it because we pay out of our own money and then get paid TDY once school is done. It would be wise to have one just in case something comes up at school.

SPC Sergio Bucheli, SSG Adam Reed, I realized after reading back through this that you are still looking for the actual reg. Use of the travel card is mandated by the Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998 http://www.gsa.gov/graphics/fas/public_law_105-264_fam9831a_R2GXCI_0Z5RDZ-i34K-pR_R2GXCI_0Z5RDZ-i34K-pR.pdf

The Department of Defense regulation that governs the use of the travel card is DoD 7000.14-R, Volume 9, Chapter 3. It should come up pretty quickly in a google search but I'll cut and paste a small portion....


"0301 POLICY AND PURPOSE
030101. Overview
The Department of Defense (DoD) policy is that the Government Travel Charge Card (GTCC) will be used by all DoD personnel (military or civilian) to pay for all costs related to official government travel. See Section 0306 for a list of exceptions. Official government travel is defined as travel under official orders while performing duties pertaining to official government assignments such as temporary duty (TDY) and permanent change of station (PCS). The purpose of the GTCC is to serve as the primary payment method for official travel expenses incurred by DoD personnel (military or civilian) and it also allows the cardholder access to the GSA City Pair Program. The GTCC reduces the need to issue traditional travel advances (cash/electronic funds transfer), eliminates the need for the traveler to pay for their own expenses, and provides financial readiness to DoD personnel (military or civilian). Refer to the Travel and Transportation Reform Act of 1998 (TTRA), Public Law 105-264 for additional information regarding mandatory use of the travel card. "

So, even though this has been a law for the last 18 years, I haven't seen it so strictly enforced until recently. Currently in MT, you have to include a memo stating why you are using the CBA and not a GTC in your authorization. That's been a change in just the last year.Kuwait was the same way, I believe it required a GO from ARCENT to approve the use of the CBA there.

I think DTS and the GTC are very effective tools for Soldiers, so long as they are used correctly. One problem is that these tools require a lot of training before becoming proficient with them and mistakes come with sometimes drastic consequences. There are flaws in the system, and several things I don't agree with. However, the biggest issues with the GTC invariably come from Soldiers that get the card, put it in their wallet and forget about it. If your unit is telling you to get one, then you have to get one - per Federal Law and DoD Regulation.

When you get one, your best place to start for training on the GTC and DTS is https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/Passport/bin/Passport.html?CFID=4785076&CFTOKEN=80492345#

Don't kill the messenger

A what?

Honestly, I'm not sure if there is a regulation but speaking to my past experiences, I wished I had one when I did foundry training. I didn't realize I had to pay for my room while I was gone, even tho I didn't book it. I'd rather have a travel card & not be out hundreds of dollars waiting for the government to pay me back (on the NG side you never know when you'll see your money).

If you're truly against getting one here's is what you do. Let them force their ways on you and just get one. Then just cut it up when it arrives. You just better be ready to pay for your travel on your own. I for one was 100% against them. My leaders tried to BS me by saying that it won't effect my credit. I asked them that if I could prove otherwise would I still have to get one. Well since most in the system are somewhat brainwashed and truly believe what they are being told to tell me, then they said no. So of course within 15 minutes I proved them wrong and i never got the card. Just saying.

I agree with most on this feed; just get it, put it in your wallet, and don't use it unless you're told to. The problem with giving everyone a travel card...is that it's a waste of time for short-timers. But...you know how it always works...shake your head, sigh, and just walk away.

I know it is if you travel more than twice on official business in a year and it can also be a command policy. My BDE requires everyone to have one and in ARCENT you are required to have one to go on any TDY.