myPers

The following exemptions apply to both member and dependents for international and domestic travel. Travel resulting from approved exemptions must follow guidance in paragraph 5 before initiating travel to ensure measures to enhance traveler safety are met. Airmen must contact their gaining unit in advance of travel to assure the unit is updated on their travel itineraries and to be aware of any travel restrictions that may be incurred:

A. (UPDATED) Airmen and their sponsored dependents who have “initiated travel”, meaning:

Airmen and sponsored dependents who do not meet the specific condition above should continue to elevate any mission essential, hardship or humanitarian requests through their chain of command in order to obtain a waiver as outlined in paragraph 4 below.

B. Authorized travelers whose non-GFM TDY ends while this directive is in effect are authorized to return to their permanent duty station.

Non-GFM ARC members must return to their home duty station prior to the end of their orders. No authority exists to involuntarily extend non-GFM ARC members. ARC personnel required to self-quarantine will extend an additional 14 days on the same set of TDY orders. AFR specific orders guidance will be provided in a separate document.

C. Unaccompanied Airmen to or from short tour location rotations:

D. Travel by patients, as well as their authorized escorts and attendants, for purposes of medical treatment is authorized. Travel by medical providers for the purposes of medical treatment for DoD personnel and their families is also authorized.

E. U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is authorized to continue execution of the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise as required to project and sustain the Joint Force globally. This includes forces (aircrews and mission essential personnel) ordered on prepare to deploy orders (PTDO) alert status, air refueling, global patient movement, Mortuary Affairs support, inland surface, sea and air sustainment missions, support to other U.S. Agencies as approved by Secretary of Defense, and moves of personnel and equipment that support USTRANSCOM global posture requirements.

F. (UPDATED) Retirements and Separations: Airmen retiring or separating are exempt. Airmen who are unable to schedule household good shipments or travel due to local restrictions or shelter-in-place initiatives may request changes to their retirement/separation dates via myPers.

G. Casualty and Mortuary Affairs programs have outlined exemptions for their mission sets in guidance dated 27 Mar 20. See Attachment 7.

H. Student and instructor travel associated with uniformed personnel Recruiting and Accessions activities, to include accessions, basic training, advanced individual training (Initial Skills Training (IST), Technical Training and Retraining), and follow-on travel to the first duty station. Coordination between losing and gaining commander before departure is required.

I. The Air Force will continue to develop Airmen through technical and flying training and advanced academic education. Travel to and from Professional Military Education (PME) programs is authorized.

J. Evacuations: DoD eligible family members who did not have travel orders approved prior to 7 May 2020 may no longer travel under the previous authority.

DoS has extended entitlements until 11 July 2020 for those families currently at safe havens which traveled under the previous authority. If the service member has 60 or more days remaining on their tour, eligible family members are authorized return travel. If the service member has 59 or less days remaining on their tour, eligible family members are authorized travel to the next duty location. Refer to Attachment 9 for detailed guidance.

K. Global Force Management (GFM) Activities (Contingency Deployments): GFM activities are defined as deployments/redeployments ordered in the GFM Allocation Plan and Combatant Command Assigned Force Demand tasking, including 365-Day Extended Deployments (ED) and Service internal rotations to support and TDY used to source ordered capabilities.

• • Airmen and their sponsored dependents with a current June, July, or August 2020 RNLTD/DEROS who have shipped HHG or completed requirements for a PPM, may proceed to next PDS once gaining and losing commanders concur with travel plans in accordance with their current Projected Departure Date (PDD).

  1. (UPDATED) Unaccompanied Airmen rotating to or from short tour locations and accompanied CENTCOM short tour PCS rotations have been determined to be mission essential (Attachment 5).

  Airmen rotating to or from short tour locations and are at/past original DEROS or at/past original RNLTD month, are authorized to proceed on assignment contingent on: gaining/losing command coordination and location-specific operating procedures listed in Attachment 6 (if applicable). Additional waivers are not required and travel will be IAW paragraph 5 below.

  Losing Commanders remain responsible for tracking and documenting movement of their personnel.

  2. Squadron Commanders (at short tour locations):

  3. MPFs at gaining short tour location will consolidate and submit batch DEROS and RNLTD changes via email to afpc.dp3am.workflow@us.af.mil marked “COVID-19 Short Tour Rotations” for update by AFPC/DP3AM after coordination with the losing commander.

  4. Airmen inbound to short tour locations: Airmen that already had their RNLTD adjusted due to stop movement travel restrictions must remain in contact with their chain of command and supporting MPF Assignments counselor for a potential additional RNLTD adjustment. Airmen should begin preparation for travel IAW local out-processing procedures; travel will be IAW paragraph 5. Refer to Attachment 6 for location-specific operating procedures (if applicable).

  5. Losing MPFs, non-short tour locations: After completion of the following, losing MPFs (non-short tour locations) are authorized to out-process Airmen:

  If departing Airman are outside their adjusted 60-day RNLTD window and their gaining unit chain of command initiates contact to proceed to short tour location, the Airman may be out-processed. In these cases, a request to AFPC requesting an RNLTD acceleration is not required. Category 1 discrepancies will not be processed for members who report/depart outside the 60-day window of RNLTDs that were adjusted due to the stop movement order.

  • a. To ensure appropriate reception and bed down capacity exists at short tour location, squadron commanders at these locations may request adjustments to the impacted inbound Airmen RNLTDs.

    b. Squadron commanders may have an Airman’s adjusted DEROS changed in order to facilitate accelerated travel.

    c. Will coordinate with their servicing MPF to update DEROS and RNLTDs IAW Part I, paragraph 3.C.3. below.

    a. The associated PCS requirements are followed.

    b. Gaining/losing command coordination.

    c. Compliance with location-specific operating procedures listed in Attachment 6 (if applicable).

    d. Document exemptions or waivers IAW procedures outlined in Part I, paragraph 5.E. below.

  Military Instructors with a projected PCS who are supporting the following missions are authorized to PCS with dependents concurrently, however coordination between losing and gaining commander and/or owning organization is required before departure and organizations must be updated on travel itinerary: Technical and flying training and advanced academic education courses to include Officer Training School (OTS), Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), Basic Military Training (BMT), advanced academic education such as, the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS), Air Command and Staff College (ACSC), Air War College (AWC), Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Fellowships, Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) and Sister Service schools.

  Military Students with a projected PCS in-and-outbound who have been selected to attend technical and flying training to include SAASS, ACSC and AWC, AFIT-sponsored degree programs, Fellowships, JPME, Education with Industry (EWI), Sister Service and international schools and advanced academic degree/training (to include health professionals) are authorized to proceed with dependents concurrently, however coordination between losing and gaining commander and/or owning organization is required before departure and organizations must be updated on travel itinerary.

  It is highly recommended units and students contact training squadrons and locations to check on any changes or new requirements that may arise during the on-going COVID-19 response.

  If required for arrangement of out-processing requirements, waivers are available in Attachment 8.

Such travel to execute Operations, Activities, and Investments or Service-related training will be coordinated between the Combatant Command, the Joint Staff, and the appropriate Military Department.

The VCSAF has provided policy and guidance regarding Restriction of Movement procedures for service members traveling for pre-deployment training during COVID-19 restrictions (Attachment 10). This policy and guidance will reduce the requirement for the number of Airmen going TDY for pre-deployment training, and will eliminate the requirement to have to go to multiple training locations. Unit Deployment Managers (UDM) will verify that pre-deployment training requirements only require Airmen to travel to one pre-deployment training venue prior to deployment. If more than one TDY is showing required, the UDM will inform the unit commander, who will then seek clarification/additional waivers through their chain of command. It is important that deploying members remain in contact with their Installation Personnel Readiness (IPR), UDM and Chain of Command as there have been instances in which pre-deployment training and/or deployments have been delayed.

365-Day Extended Deployment (ED): If eligible and all PCS requirements have been met, dependent travel to the CONUS Advanced Assignment (AA) location is authorized. AA travel to OCONUS locations requires the use of already existing AA exception to policy procedures. Eligible families are authorized to proceed to AA before, after, or upon the Airman's departure from losing station. Movement will be IAW paragraph 5 below.

L. (UPDATED) Leave (also applied to Regular (i.e. weekends) and Special Pass situations):

Leave travel for military members (Regular AF and Reserve Component members in an active duty status) is exempt from COVID-19 travel restrictions. Authorized leave outside the local area will be approved at a level no lower than the unit commander or equivalent. (Attachment 13). Leave within the local area can be approved at levels lower than the unit commander or equivalent IAW AFI 36-3003. When approving leave, the following guidance must be followed:

1. Commanders and supervisors will conduct a risk assessment of the health status and travel itinerary for Airmen requesting leave. Airmen should not travel if they display a fever or other symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or if they have had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 14 days. Airmen will comply with any DoD, Federal, State, and local restrictions while in a leave status.

2. Commanders and supervisors risk assessments should, at a minimum, include a review of State and local restrictions and pre- and post-travel health status assessment and travel screening. The health status assessment and travel screening should include the following:

3. Commanders and supervisors will follow the procedures in Attachment 2 for all Airmen traveling on leave. Commanders and supervisors will establish a means of communication with all Airmen throughout the period of leave and post-travel process, as well as prescribing actions for their particular circumstances.

• (1) Does the member have any signs/symptoms of COVID-19? (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html)

  (2) Has the member had contact (less than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes) with anyone who has had signs and symptoms of COVID-19?

  (3) Is the member familiar with how to self-monitor and actions to take if ill? (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html).

Leave enroute: ROM, when applicable, must be accomplished at the gaining location.

(Current as of 7 July 20)

myPers

Waivers to this directive may be granted in writing in cases where the travel is: (1) determined to be mission-essential; (2) necessary for humanitarian reasons; or (3) warranted due to extreme hardship. Mission-essential travel refers to work that must be performed to ensure the continued operations of mission-essential functions, including positions that are deemed key and essential, as determined by the responsible DoD Component.

Multiple Member Waivers (Attachment 3): Waiver authorities may also approve a single case-by-case waiver for multiple members under their command or supervision as long as the above requirements are met, the members are similarly situated, and the waiver justification is the same for all members. These ‘multiple member’ waivers will be coordinated with AFPC/DP3 to ensure waivers are executed to facilitate moves as required. To maintain readiness, there may be a need for increased waivers due to mission essentiality. When feasible, we will pursue waivers covering multiple members under a single command when they are similarly situated and justified.

Documentation of the waivers must include the determination whether travel is mission-essential; necessary for humanitarian reasons; or warranted due to hardship.

These waivers shall be coordinated between the gaining and losing organizations, are to be executed on a case-by-case basis, and must be determined to be in the best interest of the U.S. Government. Waiver template is at Attachment 12.

Approval authority for these and all other waivers belongs to:

A. Combatant Commander if the individual is assigned or allocated to a Combatant Command;

B. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff if the individual is assigned to the Joint Staff;

C. Secretary of the Military Department concerned for personnel under his/her jurisdiction;

D. Chief of the National Guard Bureau (NGB) for all personnel assigned, attached, or allocated to the NGB and, for travel using Federal funds, all travel by title 32 and title 5 personnel assigned throughout the National Guard; and

E. Chief Management Officer for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Defense Agencies, Defense Field Activities, and any other DoD entities not listed above.

• • This authority has been delegated by the Secretary of the Air Force (Attachment 3) to the first general, flag officer, or member of the Senior Executive Service in the traveler's chain of command or supervision;

Delegations previously authorized under previous guidance remain in effect until those delegations are rescinded or superseded. References in prior delegations to "member of the Senior Executive Service" are deemed to include equivalent personnel.

(Current as of 7 July 20)

myPers

The restrictions above give preeminence to the safety and security of our personnel, their families, and our communities. During this period of travel restriction, several measures must be taken to enhance traveler safety, lessen the burden on DoD personnel and their families, and ensure continued operations. Specifically, each organization, as applicable, will take immediate action to:

A. Clearly communicate the contents of this directive to those individuals affected by these travel restrictions.

B. Establish pre- and post-travel screening and reception procedures for all travelers as provided in Attachment 2 and any applicable subsequent guidance, to include establishing a means of communication with all personnel throughout the pre- and post-travel screening and reception process and providing information regarding prescribed actions for their particular circumstances.

C. Use military- or DoD-contracted end-to-end travel using aircraft or other conveyance for DoD sponsored travelers to the greatest extent practicable, unless between areas designated for unrestricted travel.

D. Inform all travelers of their responsibility to contact their gaining organization in advance of travel and to keep the organization updated on their travel itinerary.

E. MPFs will document exemptions or waivers via the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Authorized Delay/Awaiting Transportation memo in lieu of an AF FM 973, Request and Authorization for Change of Administrative Orders (PCS order amendment). ARC members shall document TDY exemptions or waivers via copy of AROWS or AROWS-R orders.

F. MPFs will assist eligible Airmen with submitting assignment extension, deferment, or cancellation requests for PCS moves that cause Airman or family hardships. The Airman’s commander must endorse the request. MPFs will submit the member’s request with justification and commander’s endorsement to afpc.dp3am.workflow@us.af.mil.

G. ROM, when applicable, must be accomplished at the gaining location.

(Current as of 7 July 20)

MPFs supporting RegAF Airmen will identify and report to AFPC all the Airmen placed on TDY hold.

Note: Airmen must be in enroute (away from losing location) to PCS location to be placed on TDY hold. MPFs will also report the status of Airmen impacted by Stop Movement and report TDY hold information to AFPC.DP3AM.Workflow@us.af.mil. Additionally, impacted Airmen will receive a direct message from myPers to provide the necessary information to AFPC/DP3AM. Further reporting information will be forthcoming via separate guidance.

MPFs will utilize the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Authorized Delay/Awaiting Transportation memo (in lieu of an AF FM 973, Request and Authorization for Change of Administrative Orders) for Airmen to resume travel.

Until further notice, except as provided herein, stop movement guidance restricts family members from government-funded travel. Concurrent official travel for family members of Total Force Military is authorized when:

(1) Conditions-based criteria for unrestricted travel are met at both the gaining and losing installations or locations if outside of a DoD facility (Part I, paragraph 2); or

(2) Airmen meets exemption criteria (Part I, paragraph 3); or

(3) Airmen have a waiver, which includes dependents, to travel signed by the appropriate waiver authority

A. (UPDATED) PCS Orders/Amendments:

B. Hardship Requests: If Airmen have a hardship based on the concurrent travel policy and desire to request a RNLTD/DEROS change or assignment diversion, MPFs will assist the Airmen with submitting the request. The Airman’s commander must endorse the request. MPFs will submit the member’s request with justification and commander’s endorsement to afpc.dp3am.workflow@us.af.mil.

C. Waivers to this Guidance: Requests for waiver must follow guidance in Part I, paragraph 4. The waiver authority may authorize concurrent travel for family members, but it must be addressed in the approved waiver letter (A

• 1. If Airmen do not meet one of the conditions to PCS listed above (Part II, para 1), and have not received PCS orders, MPFs will mark block 13C Travel Delayed ‘Less than 20 Weeks’ and annotate block 15 with the following statement: “Delayed IAW Stop Movement/COVID-19 guidance.”

  2. If/when Airmen meet one of the conditions to PCS listed above (Part II, para 1), and have not received PCS orders, MPFs will mark block 13B Concurrent Travel is Approved and annotate block 15 with the following statement: “Approved IAW Stop Movement/COVID-19 guidance.”

  3. For Airmen currently with an exemption to stop movement guidance and traveling without their dependents, utilize the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Authorized Delay/Awaiting Transportation memo (in lieu of an AF FM 973, Request and Authorization for Change of Administrative Orders) upon authorization for dependent travel. Airmen currently assigned overseas must seek guidance for PCS options according to the applicable guidance for the country assigned.

  • Note: Amendments are not permitted for the purpose of authorizing concurrent travel or to change previously amended remarks.

As a result of COVID-19 Stop Movement limitations, AFPC adjusted RNLTDs and DEROS dates on/about 15 May 2020 to align assignments with the AF assignment prioritized movement plan and to bring monthly Household Goods (HHG) transportation demand in-line with executable levels of service.

As a temporary HHG pack/ship scheduling process in support of COVID-19 stop movement recovery, RNLTDs and DEROS dates are associated with a HHG pack/ship “window” (described below). Airmen not performing a Personally Procured Move (PPM) will have their HHGs packed/shipped in their assigned “window” in order to ensure a quality move and to preserve capacity for the Airmen and families with earlier RNLTDs/DEROS dates.

The MPF will populate HHG pack/ship NET dates in the designated field on the ‘memo in lieu of PCS Amendments’. Squadron commanders and equivalents can authorize an extended HHG pack/ship “window” in writing if hardship or mission reasons exist.

HHG pack/ship “window”: CONUS originated PCSs will be set at NET the month prior to the RNLTD month OCONUS originated PCSs will be set at NET two months prior to the DEROS month.

Airmen who have orders and are PCSing in FY20 are strongly encouraged to schedule their HHG pack/ship dates now. Airmen that are PCSing in FY21 are strongly encouraged to schedule their HHG pack/ship dates upon receipt of orders. To ensure Airmen have the optimal opportunity to book shipments for their desired date inside their assigned HHG pack/ship “window”, Airmen should not wait until they are in the “window” schedule HHG pack/ship date.

Airmen need to go to TMO and need to report in as soon as orders and ‘memo in lieu of PCS Amendments’ (if applicable) are in hand. Any delay may result in all movers being booked, resulting in the potential requirement to alter departure plans due to a later than desired pack-out date. Airmen accomplishing a PPM are also advised to start TMO processing ASAP. Airmen whose report date remains as originally included on their orders, PCS orders still stand and no ‘memo in lieu of PCS Amendments’ will be required for scheduling.

A. RNLTD Changes:

If mission priorities and safe travel supports, impacted Airmen have an option to accelerate their RNLTD if losing and gaining commanders approve and the Airman is requesting to do a “Full” Personally Procured Move (PPM). Airmen desiring to do a “Full” PPM can apply for, and losing and gaining commanders can approve these RNLTD changes through the existing myPers application. **Airmen should first consult with local TMO and Finance for information on reimbursement and HHG insurance before committing to a “Full” PPM.**

Airmen that will experience a significant RNLTD delay and are unable to accomplish a PPM can request adjustments to their RNLTD/DEROS if family hardship (such as school-aged children’s school enrollment and start dates) or mission needs exist. Airmen may apply, with losing and gaining commanders’ approval, through the existing myPers application. Please be aware that available HHG pack/ship dates will be limited by industry capacity to pack/ship HHGs and the sustained demand for movement across all the Services. Please consult with your local TMO.

B. DEROS Changes:

Airmen requesting a DEROS acceleration or delay must obtain losing and gaining commanders’ coordination via MFR and submit to the local CSS/MPF for processing. CSS/MPFs will submit DEROS changes via CMS.

If the Airman requires an RNLTD change in conjunction with the DEROS change, the requested RNLTD should be documented on the same MFR. An RNLTD change application in myPers is not required.

C. Voluntarily Extend in Place:

Guidance is available in myPers in the COVID-19 FAQs