ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —
The Department of the Air Force has established documentation necessities for Airmen and Guardians planning to request reimbursement pet journey bills as a result of everlasting change of station strikes.
The Defense Travel Management Office announced a brand new coverage to cowl pet journey bills, together with pet transportation and quarantine charges, in June 2023.
Starting Jan. 1, 2024, service members may be reimbursed as much as $550 within the continental U.S. for one family pet, both cat or canine, and as much as $2,000 for strikes to or from a location outdoors the continental U.S. to cowl prices associated to the transportation of a pet which is outlined by the Joint Travel Regulations as a cat or canine.
Members can request reimbursement together with their PCS journey voucher, however they need to meet eligibility necessities and embrace all required documentation. Documentation necessities embrace:
• Service members have to be on PCS orders, and all journey and bills should take place on or after Jan. 1, 2024.
• Members should present receipts for all prices.
• Receipts have to be itemized, point out they’re for one pet and embrace the identify of the pet if attainable (particularly for specialised care the pet receives, equivalent to vaccinations).
• If the pet is flying cargo as a result of it exceeds the burden restrict to journey by way of authorities or government-procured transportation, the receipt should embrace the burden of the pet.
• If a member self-procures a ticket at a location serviced by the Patriot Express, they will need to have a non-availability letter and applicable remarks on their orders. Otherwise, the transportation portion of the reimbursement will probably be restricted to the cost of transport the pet by way of the Patriot Express. All documentation used to acquire a non-availability letter have to be included when the member information their PCS journey voucher.
Costs eligible for reimbursement embrace obligatory microchipping, boarding charges, resort service costs, licensing charges on the new main obligation station (PDS), and pet transport charges if the member flies fairly than drives or if the pet is shipped individually from the member.
For PCS to or between OCONUS strikes, further prices eligible for reimbursement embrace quarantine charges and testing titer degree (antibodies) for entry.
For extra info, go to the DTMO FAQs webpage. In addition, please contact your native finance workplace for those who want help with requesting reimbursement.
