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Official commuting distance set to change

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Angela Walz
  • 162nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
New changes to the official commuting distance for which 162nd Fighter Wing Guardsmen may be reimbursed for travel entitlements will take effect beginning June 13. The changes are in accordance with public law, DoD directives and federal regulations.

Brig. Gen. Greg Stroud, 162nd Fighter Wing commander, established the commuting distance as a three tier system for all personnel with travel entitlements. Under the new system, entitlements are based upon the active or inactive duty status of the unit member, and the home location from which the member regularly commutes to and from work on a daily basis.

Travel entitlements include lodging, mileage and per diem, and are requested through the 162nd Fighter Wing Financial Management (FM) Office according to a unit member's duty status and location tier.

FM defines active duty status as including duty performed on the following types of days: annual training; special training; military personnel appropriation (MPA); active duty operational support (ADOS); or temporary Title 10 mobilization orders.

Note that active guard reserve (AGR) status at home station does not qualify for travel entitlements.

Inactive duty status includes duty performed during unit training assemblies, aircrew flight training periods (AFTPs), proficiency training (PT) and unit training prep-period assembly (TPPA) days.

TIER ONE
Personnel with a home in Tucson, Catalina, Cortaro, Green Valley, Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita or Vail will NOT receive travel entitlements. Under this tier, members are considered to be within corporate city limits. Tier one is defined as the greater Tucson area serviced by mass transit or local carriers or in which the commuting public travels during normal business hours on a daily basis.

TIER TWO
Tier two includes the cities of Amado, Benson, Oracle, Sonoita/Elgin, Red Rock and St. David. Active duty status personnel with a home in one of these cities will receive one round trip mileage claim per order, while inactive duty status personnel receive no entitlements. Tier two is within commuting distance and, under this policy, is defined as the area outside the corporate city limit area but with a daily commute of less than 12 hours in one work day, including travel time and work shift.

TIER THREE
Any city located outside of a Tier Two city is considered outside the commuting distance and falls into the Tier Three category. Active duty status personnel who fall into this category receive lodging, mileage and per diem entitlements. Inactive duty status personnel receive lodging entitlements only.

Air Technicians with legal residence in Tier Two or Tier Three, who commute to Tucson on a daily basis, will be limited to one round trip mileage claim per order while in an active duty status. No per diem or lodging is authorized for ATs in active or inactive duty status.

Lodging accommodations must still be requested through the 162nd Fighter Wing Lodging Office. For questions regarding the commuting distance policy, contact FM at 295-6175 or 295-6177.