Travel Claim Instructions

The travel rules state that you have to file your travel claim within five days of completing travel. It’s better to do it sooner than later, so you can remember your trip better, making filing the the travel claim form easier. Even if you don’t think you owe any money, or if you are owed money, you must file a travel claim. If you have travel orders, you must fill out a travel claim. Any travel that you get a travel advance in the form of a ticket or money for a ticket, you must account for that advance. If you do not account for it, you will run the risk of having the amount deducted from your pay. Because this is taxpayer money, the government is tasked with tracking it to the last penny.

When to File a Travel Claim

Filling out and filing a travel claim can be simple, but you must have all the necessary documents in front of you:

• Travel orders (both pages, if there is a “see continuation sheet for remarks”, on page 1)
• Computer generated SATO itinerary
• Airline ticket expense receipt and copy of ticket (if you paid for it)
• Lodging receipts, regardless of amount (must be daily, itemized and zero balance)
• Rental auto receipts (the paid receipt, showing amount paid and balance due zero)
• All gas receipts for rental auto
• All other receipts for $75.00 or more

Once you have your orders, you need the travel claim form DD1351-2 Travel Voucher. You can obtain a travel claim form by contacting the CSU’s, MSC-N842, ship’s Purser or download it using the link above. It’s a good idea when you are issued your travel orders, to ask for a travel claim form then. One is usually attached with your orders.

With the travel claim form and travel orders laid out, you now need to put all your receipts in order. It’s easiest to do this in chronological order from the day you departed on your travel to the time your travel ended. Once you have done that, it’s time to start the travel claim form.

How to Complete the Travel Claim Form

Follow the detailed instructions below to complete your travel claim form.

Block 1: Payment

You must mark the Electronic Fund Transfer box. All reimbursed funds are paid out in direct deposit. Be sure to notify the Travel Claim section, your payroll clerk, and your Marine Placement Specialist (MPS/detailer) if you change your account to a different bank or account. Failure to do so runs the risk of your funds being misdirected or not received.

Blocks 2 – 4: Personal Information

Enter your personal information here.

Block 5: TDY Box

Mark the TDY box since all of our travel as mariners is temporary in nature.

Block 6: Address

This is how your claim will be returned to you after processing. Please provide current information and an email address in block 6e.

Block 7: Phone

A phone number where you can be reached is helpful, if travel has questions when liquidating the claim. Please use a phone number you can be reached at. This could be a cell phone.

Block 8: Travel Order Number 

Enter your travel order number. You can find it on your travel orders in the lower right hand corner (block 22 on the travel orders). It could be a six-digit alpha-numeric or a 15-digit alpha numeric number.

Block 9: Travel Advances

Write down any travel advances you may have received. If you didn’t receive one, leave this area blank.

Block 11: Organization

You can write MSC or the ship name that you are attached to.

Blocks 10, 12, 13 and 14: Dependents and Household Goods

Skip these blocks and proceed on to the next entry.

See a sample here of the Travel Voucher DD1351-2 Blocks 1 – 14 filled out

Block 15: Itinerary 

In this block are several columns that describe your journey in a chronological order. You may make several stops en-route to your final destination; however, you only need to enter your starting point (i.e., USS Mt. Whitney, Gaeta) and your ending point (Norfolk, VA). Unless you had a layover (left Djibouti, went to Paris, laid over for 12 hours awaiting flight, then on to JFK to Norfolk) you would claim Paris as a stop on you claim.

1. In the first block, where it says “a. DATE” at the top of the column, write in the year of your travel.
2. Starting on the first line (to the left of “DEP”), under the “Date” column, enter the month and day in the first block. (Look at your orders. You will put the actual day you left the ship as your departing date.)
3. On the first line, in the “b. PLACE,” column (to the right of “DEP”), write in point of departure, where you departed from. (Look at your orders. Whatever it says on your orders under “From” on the Itinerary (travel order block 11) is the “Place” where you start your travel claim.)
4. The next column is the “c. MEANS/MODES OF TRAVEL.” This is a two-letter code that identifies how you actually left the starting point. These codes are shown on the reverse side of your travel claim, as well as below. On the first line in this column, enter the appropriate letters that correspond to your mode of departure.
   Means/Mode of Travel Codes:
   The first letter identifies the means, such as a government vehicle (“G”), commercial travel that has been pre-paid by the government (“T”), commercial travel purchased by you (“C”), or travel in a vehicle that is privately owned (“P”). The second letter is the mode of travel, whether by car (“A”), motorcycle (“M”), bus (“B”), airplane (“P”), train (“R”), or ship (“V”).
   • CA = Cab
   • CA = Rental Auto
   • GB = MSC (government) provided Van/Bus transportation
   • PA = You drove your own car
   • CP = You paid for your own plane ticket
   • TP = MSC (government) paid for the plane ticket

The next column “d. REASON FOR STOP” is grayed out. This is because you haven’t stopped yet. Whether the first stop is your final destination, or just a place where you are waiting for the next leg of your journey, continue back to the first column, on to the second (“ARR”) row.

1. On the second line (to the left of “ARR”), under the “Date” column, enter the month and day of your arrival. 
2. On the second line, in the “Place,” column Next to “ARR,” write in the name of the stopping point.

You will notice that the “c. MEANS/MODES OF TRAVEL” column is grayed out on this line. This is because you are no longer travelling. Now you must fill in the “d. REASON FOR STOP” column.

1. The next column is the “d. REASON FOR STOP” column. This is a two-letter code that identifies why you have stopped. These codes are shown on the reverse side of your travel claim, as well as below. On the first line in this column, enter the appropriate letters that correspond to your reason for stop.
   Reason for Stop Codes:
   • AT = Awaiting Transportation (for the plane to take off, or taxi)
   • MC = Mission Complete
   • TD = Temporary Duty

          Don’t bother filling in the “e. LODGING COST” column (you will claim lodging later.)

1. The final column, “f. POC MILES,” is only used if you have utilized a “Privately Owned Conveyance” (usually your own auto - PA, PM, PP, PV, etc.) for that leg of travel. If you used “Privately Owned Conveyance,” write in the number of miles your vehicle traveled for that leg of the journey.

Continue to the next line. You will notice that the area under the “b. PLACE” column aligns with both an the “ARR” date/time of your previous entry and a “DEP” new date/time. Since you are now departing your previous first stopping point, simply fill in the new departure date here. Then continue to the “c. MEANS/MODES OF TRAVEL” column. Continue filling out Block 15 in this manner until you are “MC” (Mission Complete, or at your final destination.) You can see an example of this block filled out here. Once you have completed Block 15, continue to the remaining blocks.

Block 16: POC (Privately Owned Conveyance) Travel

If you used Privately Owned Conveyance and are claiming miles, you must mark if you “Own/Operate” the vehicle or if you were a “Passenger.”

Block 17: Duration of TDY Travel 

This block asks how long your travel was. Mark the length of your travel: 12 hours, more than 12, but less than 24, or over 24 hours.

Block 18: Reimbursable Expenses

This is where you ask for reimbursement for out of pocket expenses. Using your receipts, list the following:

1. In the “a. Date” column, write the date of the expense.

2. In the “b. Nature of Expense” column write down what the expense was. Some examples are, “Taxi to/from airport,” “Rental Car,” “Tolls,” “Lodging/Hotel,” and “Airfare.” You do not need to claim meals. If you are entitled to per diem, you will receive it.

   **NOTE: If you were not provided airfare at Government expense and needed to purchase a ticket from the ships’ agent or other travel agency, and were given an advance when departing from the ship for this purpose, **be sure to indicate the ticket cost here. If an advance was indicated on your orders and the funds were given to the agent for your ticket, be sure to claim that cost here also. If you rented a car for a few days, indicate the dates as “01 Jan thru 05 Jan rental car.”

   NOTE: Always be guided by the orders, if you used a rental**,** be sure to include the CTO Itinerary showing CAR****, do not opt for LDW (Lost Damage Waiver), Hand Held GPS, ALI (Additional Liability) or Gas Service Option, as these items are not reimbursable to you. In the “Amount” column, write in the amount of the expense. If your expense are in a foreign currency, write the amount in local currency in the “Nature of Expense” column and be certain travel understands this expense is shown in foreign currency. For example, “Taxi to airport, 25 DINARS,” leave the column marked “Allowed” blank.

Block 19: Government/Deductible Meals 

Leave this blank. If you are authorized per diem for meals, travel will pay this.

See a sample here of the Travel Voucher DD1351-2 Blocks 15 – 19 filled out

Block 20: Signature

Be sure to sign and date. If you don’t sign it, you won’t get paid, so make sure you SIGN and DATE the form.

Leave the rest of the form blank, the person working your travel claim will fill it in. Make a copy of the completed travel claim, orders, and all of your receipts. Then, collect your originals and place the completed claim sheet on top of your original orders. Place your receipts behind the orders. Having them in chronological order will help the processor find them easily.

Submit the claim through the appropriate person in the CSU, Purser aboard ship (or Master for ships that don’t have a Purser) or send them to:

Mail:
Military Sealift Command
471 East C Street SP-64
ATTN: TRAVEL CLAIMS
Norfolk, VA 23511-2419
Email: MSC_N8_TRAVEL_PRIVATE@US.NAVY.MIL
Fax:  (757) 443-2269  or  (757) 443-5829

Travel Claim Checklist

The below documents are all required to process the travel claim checklist

DD1351-2 Travel Voucher or SubVoucher

The (DD1351-2) Travel Voucher must be signed and dated by traveler, or it will be returned. Be sure to review your Travel Claim prior to submitting. If an incomplete travel order is submitted, the entire claim may bereturned, resulting in delays settling the claim.

1. Temporary Duty Travel Authorization – DD1610
2. Stamped endorsements for–
   1. School attendees
   2. Ship assignment endorsed by Master or Purser upon arrival to ship
3. Itinerary - Computer generated flight Itinerary/SATO endorsement or all paid tickets with itinerary purchased by Mariner
4. Supporting Travel Documents – see #2
5. Unused Tickets – see #3

Supporting Travel Documents

1. Airline Expenses – SATO Itinerary with amount paid or Commercial Receipt paid by CIVMAR for air travel

2. Lodging Receipts– BOQ/BEQ, Hotel/Motel receipts regardless of amount must cite the following:

   1. Name
   2. Location of lodging
   3. Daily room rate
   4. Period of stay
   5. Proof of payment in full (showing a zero balance)

3. Transportation Receipts–

   1. Taxi/Limo/Shuttle receipts for fares of $75.00 and up
   2. Car rental receipts must show amount paid, the pre-calculated is not acceptable. Car rental must be authorized on orders and on itinerary from SATO.
   3. All the receipts for gas purchased
   4. Reimbursable Form for Official Travel 1164 Claim required for local miles in/around TDY area.

4. Baggage / Luggage– You are authorized two pieces of baggage/luggage, not to exceed 50lb each.

   NOTE: The airlines may charge you fees for your first and/or second piece of luggage. These fees vary from airline to airline. Be prepared to show them a copy of your orders to avoid this additional fee. If they still require additional fees for your luggage/baggage, you MUST retain the receipt and submit with your travel claim for reimbursement.

5. Amendment to Orders (if applicable) – Amendments to orders are required when change in dates traveled, or itinerary differs from dates authorized, mode of travel differs from block 12 or any reason than may affect the reimbursement of funds.

Unused Tickets

Any unused tickets must be returned with orders and a completed (DD1351-2) Travel Voucher

1. Electronic Ticketing – If you DO NOT use the entire electronic ticket, you must document the routing/flights you traveled.
2. Hard Ticket – If a hard ticket is issued, you must return ANY unused portion of the tickets with your claim.