BAS Deductions and Per Diem for Marines Participating in Joint Force Contingency Operations Within the USCENTCOM AOR

1. THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN COORDINATED WITH HQMC-RFL/MI/MPO-40 AND
DFAS-PMMP/KC.
2. THIS MESSAGE REINFORCES AND AMPLIFIES THE POLICY AND GUIDANCE IN
REF D. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION PERTAINS TO MARINES AND MARINE
UNITS ASSIGNED TO JOINT FORCE OPERATIONS WITHIN THE USCENTCOM AOR.
SPECIFICALLY INCLUDED ARE JOINT FORCE OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENTS (E.G.,
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM) WHICH MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
A. JTF. A FORCE COMPOSED OF ASSIGNED OR ATTACHED ELEMENTS OF THE
ARMY, NAVY/MARINE CORPS, AND AIR FORCE, OR TWO OR MORE OF THESE
SERVICES WHICH IS CONSTITUTED AND SO DESIGNATED BY THE SECDEF OR BY
A UNIFIED COMMANDER OR AN EXISTING JTF (AS DEFINED BY JOINT
PUBLICATIONS 1-02, DOD DICTIONARY OF MILITARY AND ASSOCIATED TERMS).
B. OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENT. THOSE CONTINGENCIES OR OTHER OPERATIONS
DIRECTED BY THE SECDEF IN SUPPORT OF A UNITED NATIONS (UN), JOINT
FORCE, OR JTF MISSION. THESE INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO,
OPERATIONS AGAINST AN ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL ENEMY, UN AND JTF
PEACEKEEPING, NATION BUILDING, AND HUMANITARIAN MISSIONS.
OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENTS DIFFER FROM JTF EXCERCISES.
3. REFS A (PAR U4800), B AND C STATE THAT IF THE OPERATIONAL
DEPLOYMENT MEETS THE ABOVE CRITERIA, THE COMBATANT OR JTF COMMANDER
MAY DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE TAD OPTION (WHICH ESTABLISHES THE
ENTITLEMENT) AFTER CONSULTATION WITH THE SERVICE COMPONENT COMMANDERS.
THE COMBATANT OR JTF COMMANDER MUST COMMUNICATE THIS DECISION
(INCLUDING THE APPROPRIATE MEAL COLLECTION RATE) TO THE APPROPRIATE
SERVICES FOR INCLUSION IN ORDERS.
4. REF D PROVIDED THIS POLICY AND DIRECTED MARINE COMPONENT COMMANDERS
TO SUPPORT ANY SUCH DETERMINATION WITHOUT FURTHER GUIDANCE FROM THIS
HQS.
5. REF E RESTATED THE CURRENT PER DIEM POLICY WITHIN THE USCENTCOM
AOR, WHICH HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED SINCE IT WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN
NOV 94. IN ACCORDANCE WITH REF A, THE STANDING USCENTCOM PER DIEM
POLICY FOR SERVICE MEMBERS DEPLOYED TO THE USCENTCOM AOR DURING
CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS IS "REGULAR TAD/TDY" AS OPPOSED TO "FIELD
DUTY." ACCORDINGLY, WHEN FORCES DEPLOY IN SUPPORT OF AN OPERATION
THEY ARE TO DEPLOY UNDER PER DIEM ORDERS, RETAIN THEIR BAS, AND
HAVE THE SUBSISTENCE PORTION OF THEIR PER DIEM WITHHELD OR DEDUCTED
FROM THEIR TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT AS PAYMENT FOR MEALS PROVIDED IN
THEATER. SUCH A DEDUCTION WILL PRECLUDE A MEAL DEDUCTION FROM A
SERVICE MEMBER'S PAY. ADDITIONALLY, THE MEMBER IS ENTITLED TO THE
OCONUS INCIDENTALS RATE FOR PER DIEM (I.E., $3.50 PER DAY WHEN
BILLETED ON A U.S. INSTALLATION OR IF THE JTF OR COMBATANT COMMANDER
DETERMINES THAT THE $3.50 PER DAY IS ADEQUATE).
6. REF F CONFIRMED THAT REF E REMAINS VALID AND IS CONSISTENT WITH
REFS A, B AND C.
7. REF B (PAR U4102-J) PROHIBITS PAYMENT OF PER DIEM (TO INCLUDE
INCIDENTALS) FOR MEMBERS PERFORMING DUTY ABOARD U.S. GOVERNMENT
VESSELS. REF G CONFIRMED THAT REF E DOES NOT APPLY TO MEMBERS
PERFORMING DUTY ABOARD U.S. GOVERNMENT VESSELS WITHIN THE CENTCOM AOR.
THESE MEMBERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE THE DISCOUNT GOVERNMENT MEAL
RATE (DMR) DEDUCTED FROM THEIR PAY ACCOUNT. UPON LEAVING THE
GOVERNMENT VESSEL AND ENTERING THE AOR (LAND), I.E, GOING ASHORE, A
MODIFICATION TO THEIR ORDERS (MEETING THE CRITERIA OF REF A) SHOULD
BE MADE. AT THAT POINT THE DMR DEDUCTION SHOULD BE TERMINATED AND
THE PAYMENT OF THE CONTINGENCY PER DIEM WILL BEGIN, I.E., AT THAT
TIME REF D WOULD THEN APPLY TO THESE MEMBERS.
8. ACCORDINGLY, MARINE COMMANDERS ARE TO COMPLY WITH REF D AND THIS
MESSAGE WHEN ISSUING ORDERS FOR THEIR MARINES TO PARTICIPATE IN JOINT
FORCE CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS WITHIN THE USCENTCOM AOR. CONTRARY TO
REF D, EXECUTION OF THIS POLICY DOES NOT REQUIRE UNITS TO ISSUE
INDIVIDUAL TRAVEL ORDERS - GROUP DEPLOYMENT ORDERS MAY BE ISSUED.
COSTS MUST BE CAREFULLY MONITORED, CAPTURED, AND REIMBURSEMENT SOUGHT
THROUGH SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING REQUESTS.
9. THIS POLICY DOES NOT AFFECT CURRENT COMMAND REIMBURSEMENT
PROCESSES. ADDITIONALLY, CURRENT POLICY AS IT PERTAINS TO JTF
EXERCISES (MUST BE FIELD DUTY) AND REGULAR ROTATIONAL UNITS ASSIGNED
TO THE WESTPAC UDP REMAIN UNCHANGED.
10. A MCTFS MODIFICATION TO REPORT THE PAYMENT OF THE $3.50 INCIDENTAL
RATE VIA DIARY ENTRY, WILL BE AVAILABLE ON 4 FEBRUARY 2003.
ADDITIONAL MCTFS REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS AND OTHER
ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS TO ENSURE PROPER PAYMENT OF MARINES
PARTICIPATING IN JOINT TASK FORCE (JTF) CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS WITHIN
THE USCENTCOM AOR WILL BE PUBLISHED BY DFAS-PMMP/KC TAN, PAAN AND
RPAAN MESSAGES AFTER RELEASE OF THIS MESSAGE. SEE TAN 02-03,
PAAN 12-03, AND RPAAN 10-03.
11. RF POINT OF CONTACT IS CWO B. CAREY, RFL, (703) 614-4981.
12. THIS MESSAGE IS APPLICABLE TO THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE.