Implementation of the Defense Travel System (DTS) and the Finance Community

1. THIS MESSAGE IS LABELED MARADMIN XXX-04 FOR ID PURPOSES.
THIS IS A JOINT MARADMIN BETWEEN THE DEPUTY COMMANDANT, M&RA; THE
DEPUTY COMMANDANT, P&R; THE DEPUTY COMMANDANT, I&L; AND THE CG
MARCORSYSCOM.
2. PURPOSE. THIS MESSAGE ESTABLISHES POLICY REGARDING THE
IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE DEFENSE TRAVEL SYSTEM (DTS).
3. BACKGROUND. THE DTS IS A WEB BASED, DOD MANDATED SYSTEM WHICH
TRANSFORMS THE TAD TRAVEL PROCESS. DTS HAS ACHIEVED INITIAL
OPERATING CAPABILITY AND IS BEING IMPLEMENTED MARINE CORPS WIDE.
SEE REF A FOR DETAILS. AS DTS HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED AT EACH SITE,
INSTALLATION COMMANDERS HAVE RECOGNIZED THE NEED FOR CLOSE
INVOLVEMENT BY THE FINANCE COMMUNITY AT BOTH THE COMPTROLLER (COMPT)
AND DISBURSING/FINANCE OFFICE (FO/DO) LEVEL. THIS MARADMIN
DESIGNATES THE FINANCE COMMUNITY AS THE LEAD DEFENSE TRAVEL
ADMINISTRATION (LDTA) FOCAL POINT AT EACH INSTALLATION AND DETAILS
SPECIFIC DUTIES REQUIRED OF THE COMPT/DO/FO FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION
AND FOLLOW-ON MAINTENANCE OF DTS.
4. SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF DTS REQUIRES ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMAND AND THE FUNCTIONAL AREAS OF
ADMINISTRATION, TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, AND COMPT/FINANCE. ALL OF THESE
AREAS MUST HAVE PEPRESENTATION AND BE INVOLVED DURING INITIAL
IMPLEMENTATION AND FOLLOW-ON MAINTENANCE. A LDTA IS NECESSARY TO
COORDINATE THIS EFFORT. THE COMPT/DO/FO'S EXPERIENCE WITH PAY AND
ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS, EXPERTISE IN TRAVEL REGULATIONS, FAMILIARITY
WITH DEBT MANAGEMENT, ESTABLISHED WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH
SERVICED UNITS, AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE OVERALL TRAVEL PROCESS MAKE THE
FINANCE COMMUNITY A LOGICAL CHOICE FOR LEADING THE DTS EFFORT AT THE
INSTALLATION LEVEL. A COMMON LDTA AT THE INSTALLATION LEVEL
PROVIDES AN EFFICIENT AVENUE FOR PASSING AND RECEIVING INFORMATION
TO AND FROM THE HEADQUARTERS LEVEL AND SHARING INFORMATION
ENTERPRISE WIDE. THE LDTA WILL PROVIDE THE INSTALLATION WITH A
PERMANENT TRAINING CELL WHICH WILL BE SCHOOL TRAINED ONCE DTS
TRAINING IS INCORPORATED INTO THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SCHOOL
CURRICULUM.
5. POLICY. EFFECTIVE WITH THE RELEASE OF THIS MARADMIN THE
COMPTROLLER/FINANCE OFFICES WILL BE THE DESIGNATED LDTAS FOR BASES
AND STATIONS. DISBURSING OFFICES FOR THE FSSGS ARE DESIGNATED AS
THE LDTA FOR THE OPERATING FORCES. THIS GUIDANCE ALSO APPLIES TO
COMMANDS THAT HAVE COMBINED DISBURSING AND FINANCE OFFICES.
6. COMPTROLLER DUTIES:
A. ESTABLISH AND MONITOR TRAVEL BUDGET IN DTS.
B. LOAD ACCOUNTING DATA INTO DTS.
C. PERFORM THE ACCOUNTING AND BUDGET PORTION OF THE HELP DESK
FUNCTION.
D. DISSEMINATE AND SUPPORT TRAVEL POLICY THROUGHOUT THE
COMMAND.
7. FINANCE/DISBURSING OFFICE DUTIES:
A. AS THE DESIGNATED LDTA, ASSEMBLE A CROSS-FUNCTIONAL
IMPLEMENTATION WORKING GROUP CONSISTING OF REPRESENTATION FROM
ADMIN, BUDGET, ACCOUNTING, DISBURSING, AND TRANSPORATION COMMUNITIES.
B. PERFORM DTS ADMINISTRATION AND MAINTENANCE.
C. PERFORM DEBT MANAGEMENT AND DEBT COLLECTION.
D. PERFORM THE FINANCE PORTION OF THE HELP DESK FUNCTION.
E. TRAIN DTAS.
8. CAMP S.D. BUTLER FINANCE OFFICE (APPLIES TO ALL MARINE CAMPS
ON OKINAWA) AND 3D FSSG DISBURSING OFFICE: EACH INSTALLATION WILL
HAVE ONE LDTA ONLY. IN OKINAWA THE LDTA WILL FALL UNDER THE CAMP
BUTLER COMPTROLLER AND WILL PERFORM THE DUTIES OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPH
6 FOR CAMP BUTLER. THE CAMP BUTLER LDTA WILL COORDINATE WITH THE 3D
FSSG DISBURSING OFFICE WHO WILL BE THE FOCAL POINT FOR III MEF AND
ITS MAJOR SUBORDINATE COMMANDS. THE III MEF DISBURSING OFFICE WILL
PERFORM THE DUTIES OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPH 7 ABOVE FOR III MEF AND
MAJOR SUBORDINATE COMMANDS AND WILL COORDINATED BETWEEN THE CAMP
BUTLER LDTA AND THE III MEF OPERATIONAL UNITS.
9. ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION WILL BE PUBLISHED AS
NECESSARY, TO INCLUDE DEBT MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES. ADDITIONAL DTS
INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: WWW.DEFENSETRAVEL.OSD.MIL
10. POC AT CMC P&R-RFF IS CWO5 FUQUA, DSN 224-4981,
EMAIL:FUQUAD@HQMC.USMC.MIL.