SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Let's face it - these days both military and civilians are spending more and more time on the road. Whether they are traveling for relocation, training, attending conferences or in support of the global war on terror, the Department of Defense provides them with a convenient means of paying for official travel expenses through the use of the Government Travel Card program.

A government travel card - otherwise known as an individually-billed account - is available and mandated for use by all DoD employees while on official travel. A GTC is issued under the strict understanding that it will not be abused or misused in any way. Use of the GTC is a benefit, not an entitlement, and misuse or irresponsibility can reflect negatively on your credit and career.

"The government travel card makes it easy for the cardholder to perform their TDYs (temporary assignment of duty)," said Mr. Jim Stanford, budget analyst and government travel card program coordinator with the 916th Air Refueling Wing. "It is a means to pay for authorized travel expenses like airline tickets, lodging expense, car rental, fuel, meals and authorized ATM withdrawals."

An IBA works similar to most credit cards and has a maximum limit. It is issued directly to the member and is operated by a civilian financial institution. If a card is cancelled for nonpayment, it can be reported to credit bureaus and affect the holder's credit rating.

The cardholder is allotted a certain amount of money by their unit, which is called "per-diem." The total per diem allowance is determined according to mileage and cost of living for the area in which they are conducting official business. Travel vouchers are then submitted by the cardholder to the unit's finance department as a request for reimbursement to the card. The balance for all authorized expenses is then paid.

There are additional advantages to using the travel card besides the convenience it offers, according to Mr. Stanford. There is no interest, and an account isn't considered officially delinquent until it reaches 45 days. Fees are incurred only after 60 days of nonpayment.

Not only is it interest-free, but all of those annoying ATM fees accrued while on official business are also reimbursed - and that's not even the best part. After all expenses have been paid, if there is money left over from the original allotted amount, the cardholder then has the remaining money deposited into their personal account. This is called "split disbursement."

"Simply indicate in block number one on your travel voucher the dollar amount you need sent to pay on your GTC," said Mr. Stanford. "There are no personal checks to write, postage to pay or trips to the bank - it is all automatically done for you.

"Be aware that each unit has someone reviewing transactions," Mr. Stanford added. "It can't be used for car repairs, uniform or retail items."

Other restrictions include online services, postal fees, personal phone calls, pharmacies, doctors' offices, base exchanges and any personal or home station use. Commissary or grocery store spending is approved for authorized TDY expenses only.

There are additional restrictions and details, so cardholders should be sure to get a complete briefing from their unit's program coordinator.

"Be aware that each month, unit agency program coordinators are reviewing GTC transactions for members assigned under their control," said Mr. Stanford. "Keep in mind that whatever transactions are attempted fall under review."

Reports of each unit's total balances and delinquencies are regularly forwarded to their command headquarters. This way, individual and unit financial responsibilities regarding IBAs can be monitored consistently.

The 916th Civil Engineer Squadron currently holds the best record regarding IBAs within the 916th Air Refueling Wing, said Mr. Stanford.

Senior Master Sgt. Jeffrey Jarvis, program analyst with the 916th CES, explained that their outstanding record is a result of team effort.

"Our goal is zero delinquencies," said Senior Master Sgt. Jarvis. "It takes time and supervisor involvement to manage the process properly. If there is a discrepancy with an account, we contact the cardholder first and then their supervisor to try to get to the root of the problem.

"Everyone from the cardholder up to the squadron commander does what they can to ensure that a delinquency doesn't reach the 45-day mark," said Sergeant Jarvis.

All cardholders are advised not to exceed their per-diem allowance. They can review and manage their IBAs online by visiting www.myeasypayment.com.