The Coast Guard will use a phased approach to reimburse certain members for Inactive Duty Training (IDT) travel, in accordance with the Joint Travel Regulations. Only Selected Reserve (SELRES) members who reside 150 miles or more from their assigned drilling unit are eligible for the IDT Travel Reimbursement Program (IDT-TRP).
“This is a huge win for the SELRES,” said Master Chief Petty Officer of Coast Guard Reserve Tim Beard. “IDT-TRP will enhance more Reserve accessions and help greatly with easing the barriers to serve in today’s Coast Guard.”
Personal travel expenses for junior reserve members to commute to and from duty stations is a significant barrier to reserve recruiting and retention. Any barrier to service in the Reserve Component limits the Coast Guard’s ability to fully support both steady state missions and contingency response operations.
During the initial phase of IDT-TRP, E-6 and below members assigned to a Port Security Unit (PSU) should request eligibility determination by their command. The command will verify eligibility and coordinate with Coast Guard Reserve Resource Management Division (CG-R82) to authorize a maximum of 12 roundtrips, up to $500 per roundtrip, in fiscal year 2024.
Phase I Eligibility
- SELRES members assigned to a PSU
- E6 and below
- Reside 150 miles or more from their assigned drilling unit
- Satisfactory participation
- Have a GTCC account in good standing
Using a phased approach to implement the IDT-TRP provides immediate benefit to the most critical needs in Phase I while permitting time to identify best processes before expanding eligibility in subsequent phases.
The Assistant Commandant for Coast Guard Reserve (CG-R) will communicate timelines and eligibility for subsequent phases in message traffic. After an assessment of Phase l, eligibility for subsequent phases will likely expand to include E6 and below at other unit types prior to expanding to other paygrades. In all cases, IDT-TRP is restricted to SELRES members living more than 150 miles from their drilling unit.
CG-R is developing user guides and will incorporate best practices learned during Phase 1.
Resources:
ALCOAST 403/23: FY24 Inactive Duty Training Travel Reimbursement Program
Reserve Component Action Plan (RCAP)
JTR.PDF (defense.gov)