How do I fill out my Travel Voucher

Travel Pay Lessons Learned - Knowledge is Power.
The road to financial knowledge is a long one. Luckily it does not have to be one without guidance. Without detailed corporate knowledge, one can easily miss details and forego hard earned money. Here are some lessons to pass on.

1. Always keep track of all receipts, expenditures, expenses, etc. Even if you don't have a receipt, annotate the cost for later use - example: tips, cab fares, etc. It is a great idea to have a blank travel voucher form with you to fill out as you go; it is easier to keep track of dates and places you go as well as expenses, etc. Have one large envelope or convenient location to store all your paperwork and receipts. Too many times a crewmember will lose a vital receipt. If you do find yourself missing a receipt, not to worry, fill out the "missing receipt form" at Finance.

2. Don't forget to keep the itemized receipt for your hotel. The credit card carbon copy is great, however, Finance wants the itemized receipt. On this sheet, it is a good idea to annotate the exchange rate (if overseas) at the time of charge - this will lessen the chance for confusion later on.

3. Sit down and read the Travel Voucher Instructions section of this site - or read the printed back side of the DD-1351-2. Most servicemembers have never read these instructions. They are very detailed and direct as to what needs to be included with your voucher, and how to fill it out accurately to expedite the processing of the voucher. Filling out your voucher improperly will lead to delays or worse, underpayment.

4. Scrutinize your voucher when it is returned to you after processing. It should include a computerized worksheet computing your payments per day of your TDY. Each line should add up to a logical payment. Go line by line and check it off of what you expect. Example: for the night you spent at Ramstein AB, make certain you were reimbursed for the lodging costs and that you were paid full perdiem for meals.

5. Keep track of all supplemental pay you will be receiving when you get back. Are you authorized Family Separation Allowance? Did you travel through a Hostile Fire Zone? Are you authorized Hostile Fire Pay and Tax Exclusion? Document exactly when you were authorized these and fill out the necessary forms. It is a good idea to keep a copy of the flight orders on these significant occasions.

6. Watch out for pitfalls. The system is far from perfect and any complications usually causes problems. Example: Supplemental Vouchers (getting partial payments in the middle of a TDY instead of one large sum at the end) can cause complications and errors; Split Reimbursement (monthly payments to your government credit card) are complicated and leave you at risk if a payment is late or not made automatically; Travel Advances can be overpaid or even charged twice. Avoid anything complicated or system-intensive.

7. Keep all of your old LES, Travel Vouchers, etc. - sometimes a financial problem can take months or even years to track down. I was recently reimbursed properly for a deployment I did 3 years prior - luckily I kept my voucher.