ALCOAST 360/22 - SEP 2022 E-GOV TRAVEL SYSTEM (ETS) IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE FOUR

R 271257Z SEP 22 MID200080258806U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 360/22
SSIC 7000
SUBJ: E-GOV TRAVEL SYSTEM (ETS) IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE FOUR
A. ALCGFINANCE 035/22, GUIDANCE FOR TEMPORARY DUTY TRAVEL ORDERS
CROSSING FISCAL YEARS
B. ETQC ADVISORY, CHANGE TO C-SCHOOL ORDERS PROCESSING FOR
REMAINDER OF FY22
1. This ALCOAST provides guidance for ETS use in preparation for
FY23 and required actions for users and approvers.
2. Preparation for FY23:
a. To better support the traveler, CWT Sato Travel will turn off
the funds check function in ETS while funds are loaded into FSMS,
between 01 October and 15 October 2022. ETS bulletins will provide
updates on the funds check status. Travelers should obtain travel
approvals using the normal routing process to ensure reservations
are ticketed. Travel crossing into or originating in FY23 cannot be
vouchered until the Office of Resource Management (CG-8) applies
funds to the funding reference data (POET). During the remainder of
FY22, travelers should not create any new ETS open authorizations
(blanket orders) or group authorizations.
b. Travel originating in FY23 travel should not be obligated
until October 2022. When booking travel that crosses fiscal years,
lodging and rental car reservations should be for the entire TDY
period to avoid interruption. Lodging must be set to no
reimbursement for the FY23 dates and later adjusted via an
amendment, to reflect expenses in the correct fiscal year. REF (A)
discusses airfare procurement.
c. Open Authorizations (OA) from Direct Access: Members in
receipt of PCS, Separation, or Reserve orders must check ETS for an
OA to use for planning travel. Reserve members will see an OA for
Active Duty for Training - Annual Training (ADT-AT) periods,
however, contingency travel requires direct entry of a POET to
create authorizations. REF (B) provides guidance on the transition
from OAs to direct entry of a POET for reimbursement to attend
C-schools. Similar guidance is forthcoming for A-school and
Accession training travel.
3. Required actions for users:
a. Travelers must use ETS to book official travel. To minimize
travel costs and meet system goals for electronic booking, calls to
CWT Sato Travel should be limited to complex travel needs such as
international flights without contracted fares, urgent travel within
48 hours, and booking the Alaska Marine Highway System.
b. Mission Critical (MC) status expires 30 September 2022, and
any unpaid Government Travel Charge Card (GTCC) balances will become
past due at the end of October 2022. Cardholders are required to
file a travel voucher within three (3) days of travel completion and
should use split disbursement to pay the balance. Personnel with
unreimbursed travel must notify AOs to take corrective action.
c. Travelers should immediately notify the Funds Approver when
travel is cancelled so unit funds managers can de-obligate the
funds. Funds approvers or funds managers must manually de-obligate
unused travel obligations for trips cancelled after ticketing.
4. Required actions for approvers:
a. Approving Officials (AOs) and funds approvers are reminded of
their responsibilities as Treasury Funds Certifying Officials. Funds
approvers must ensure the POET is accurate and, where applicable,
ensure documentation supporting the use of a POET belonging to
another organization is uploaded. AOs should verify the form of
payment, to wit: Traveler, Travel Charge Card, or Agency Billed, is
properly selected and allowed by policy. Additionally, AOs should
scrutinize the class of airfare selected and, before vouchering,
account for any upward adjustment in costs to ensure the travel
remained within policy.
b. AOs should poll their members to identify authorizations or
vouchers that do not have final approval or are no longer needed and
delete unnecessary claims. Command Travel Managers should use
available GTCC balance reports to encourage reconciliation before
the end of the FY.
5. PCS travel claim guidance. Military personnel must continue to
submit PCS travel claims using TPAX. Pay and Personnel Center (PPC)
auditors will review the travel claim and send travelers an email
directing them to perform actions in ETS and DA, if necessary, to
process their reimbursement. The PPC website provides guides on the
PCS travel claim process.
6. Travel assistance is available through the online help tool in
ETS, guidance on the PPC website, and from the AO supporting the
unit. The Travel Assist Team (TAT) remains a resource for AOs and is
available through 24 April 2023. The ETS website remains the best
resource for ETS-related news, training, and tips for processing
travel. Users can access the website at:
(Copy And Paste The URL Below into Browser)

https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/travel/ets/

7. For other related ETS or Travel Management Officer (TMO)
questions, contact CDR William Suter, TMO Implementation (CG-133) at
(202) 758-9116 or William.W.Suter@uscg.mil.
8. RADM B.K. Penoyer, Assistant Commandant for Human Resources
(CG-1), sends.
9. Internet release is authorized