BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Thank you for your service in support of our great nation and for your patience with the Air Force Reserve IR program! Here at RIO we have been working very hard to re-engineer the IR Travel and Pay processes within our control to provide you with more timely pay.
We would like to provide you an update on our progress since we initially described our efforts in the article “IR Pay: Current and Future State” posted 9 November 2018. https://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1687371/ir-pay-current-and-future-state/
HQ RIO is executing all of the initiatives described in the November article and they are producing positive effects. Despite the tremendous progress, we continue to focus significant efforts and resources in IR travel pay processing to deliver the timeliness you deserve. We are measuring and managing these metrics very closely. The existing team and additional surge task force assets are working well beyond core hours to bring our transaction backlog volume down. These efforts are paying off, and the assistance from the surge team has enabled us to cut the actionable inventory backlog in half.
We are showing significant progress reducing processing timelines, as you can see below. For transparency, current travel processing dates are updated on the RIO website every Monday at www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/hqrio/IRTravel.aspx. The number of days refers to the time from voucher submission in myPers by a member to the time a travel technician begins to process the submission.
- IDT Vouchers
- NOW: Processing = 5 days
- November 2018: Processing = 34 days
- GOAL: 10 Days
- Travel Order Vouchers
- NOW: Processing = 5 days
- November 2018: Processing = 80 days
- GOAL: 10 Days
- PCS Vouchers
- NOW: Processing = 23 days
- November 2018: Processing = 61 days
- GOAL: 10 Days
We are making great strides toward our timeliness goal and as well as reducing the number of aging tickets, but we need your assistance to make this possible!
Some factors that drive delay are outside of our control and this is where you can help. Our data indicates at least half of travel vouchers submitted have errors or incomplete documentation. We are unable to process incomplete or inaccurate vouchers. Any voucher returned to the member is on-hold until we receive required information and by-law documentation. To reduce delays, please follow up and provide requested documentation in myPers as soon as possible for vouchers returned to you.
As a reminder, please adhere to these keys for success and myPers tips.
Keys to Member Success:
- File your voucher within 5 days of return; myPers provides the date stamp of your submittal
- Ensure the reimbursements you are claiming are authorized on your orders. These entitlements are not flexible, and any requested deviations must be documented on an order modification—PRIOR to travel or you may incur out-of-pocket expenses for unauthorized expenses.
- Use the resources and checklists available in the Travel Companion Guide and the RIO Connect App to assist in submitting your voucher correctly. Incomplete voucher packages will be sent back for correction, slowing the processing timeline considerably.
- Refer to the current timelines on HQ RIO Travel and Pay web pages to know how long to expect for voucher processing and payment. These are updated weekly, as noted above.
- When requesting telephone assistance, call TFSC at 1-800-525-0102 preferably during off-peak hours (their busiest time is 0900-1500 CT) to minimize time on hold.
- Members often attempt to save the DoD money by circumventing required processes in travel reservations and transportation means. This puts the member “out of bounds” of the entitlements duly documented in their travel orders. This is ill-advised.
Keys to Member Success using MyPers:
- Use links from RIO website to submit your myPers reimbursement incident (Travel: https://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/hqrio/IRTravel.aspx; Pay: https://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/hqrio/IMA-RPO.aspx).
- Separate Travel and Pay reimbursement requests---1 transaction per myPers ticket. Do not mix different requests for pay and travel issues in a single MyPers ticket as this will slow the processing time.
- To request an update or add information to a myPers incident, DO NOT open a new incident. Update the same incident you submitted previously. Updating an existing ticket DOES NOT put you at the bottom of the queue!
For concerns about your Government Travel Card, please contact your Agency Program Coordinator (APC) with any questions pertaining to the GTC program. The APC that manages your card is attached to your owning active component unit. Please use this message as needed to communicate the travel reimbursement backlog to your APC. High-volume travelers should also notify their APCs and request higher GTC limits, mission critical status, and/or a combination of the two.
I want to personally convey to you that we have a very committed team who believes in you and the mission! The RIO team is working hard to support you and we thank you for your service as well as for your patience during this program transition!
Col. Kelli Smiley
HQ RIO Commander