EFD01

Does anyone know if you are required to stay at "Contracted Billeting" should Govt. quarters not be available on base? Please cite source if able.

rickair7777

It could depend on the military service, the type of duty, and the nature of the "contract" billeting.

If the contract billeting is basically government housing which meets all the JFTR requirements but has been outsourced (ie owned/operated by a for profit company) then you would have to stay there. The DoD often owns and operates off-base housing...outsourcing is new, but doesn't change the fact that it is military housing. But it still has to have enough space and all relevant amenities to be official housing...they can't just take any substandard flee-bag motel and call it "government housing".

If you are entitled to full per diem and they want you to stay in a specific facility...that's different. Unless there are security requirements (ie centcom) if you are on per diem you should be able to stay where you like (if you can afford it).

EFD01

I believe I am concerned with case #2; I go to billeting, and they say they're full, here are your Non-As, but you can only use them at a certain motel. I can find no reference in the JTFR even addressing this situation.

130drvr

AF - you have to stay where they send you if you want the Non-A slip, less than 24 hours stay wherever you want.

okieskies99

No, this isn't right. Even if the Non-A says that you must stay at a specific hotel, as long as you have a non-A then you can stay anywhere you want and they have to reimburse you.

There's a long thread on this over at Baseops.net (Do a search on Finance Guy's posts).


Finance may try to tell you otherwise, but if you arm yourself with documentation (provided over there when the site is up). Then you'll be ok.

Chris99

I searched--hence the thread revival. My question is different though. I'm a new IMA Reservist doing my first tour on mandays. My Resource Advisors (RA) tried to reserve a room for me on base, but they had no availability so I got a non-A letter for the three weeks I am here (OCONUS). Well, a couple days ago one of the RAs comes up to me and says they have availability on base now, so I need to move and give up the rental car. I looked at the thread on baseops.net and the JFTR, and it says the member is only required to check once for on-base availability. However, the RAs have kept checking and now on-base is available. The JFTR also says: "2. Who uses other lodgings as a personal choice, when adequate GOV’T QTRS:
a. Use is directed on that U.S. INSTALLATION, and
b. Are available on that U.S. INSTALLATION,
is limited to the GOV’T QTRS lodging reimbursement cost on the U.S. INSTALLATION to which assigned TDY." Also, the RAs included on my orders a paragraph that says: "in the event a non-A statement is issued member will reside off base until on base lodging becomes available then member is directed to move into lodging. If member chooses to continue to reside off base it will be at member's expense and GMR and OCONUS per diem rates will apply." So is this legal? Do I have to move on-base? It seems to be in direct conflict with AFI 36-246: "If space becomes available in on-base lodging after CL reservation confirmation or NA number issuance, lodging should make an effort to maximize occupancy by attempting to notify the traveler of the change and encouraging the traveler to stay on base.
NOTE:
The traveler is not required to stay in on-base lodging after he/she has already received a NA number or been issued a CL reservation confirmation."

Does the statement on the orders trump the AFI? Or is it considered "use is directed on that U.S. INSTALLATION" per the JFTR?

HuggyU2

Based on who puts the comments on orders that I've seen in the past, I'd give it a grain of salt.
The AFI and JFTR win.
As an active duty AF officer, once I've checked and get non-A, that's it. I will do the rest of the duration off-base.

fishforfun

If you have a non-A that shows the dates its good for that is all you need. Of course I have no reference to back that up. They do the same thing at Altus AFB, once a room opens up on base you get the call telling you to move back on base.

AmericanIdiot#1

Whatever you do, make sure you have the non availability chit to submit with your travel claim.

Tenacvols

The JTFR clearly states that once you get a non-availabilty letter you don't have to check again nor move on base if a room opens up. If you haven't read the JTFR yet it's a good idea. That way, when finance starts ****ing with you, show them the instruction in black and white. CYA...