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Emergency Leave

Applies to all U.S. Military personnel and dependents

Authority: JFTR Chapter Seven (U7205)

Forward: Emergency leave (EL) travel is provided to a military member or dependents when they have an urgent reason to travel to a specific destination at a specific time. EL travel often involves the death or pending death of an immediate family member. SatoTravel should do their best to be as sensitive as possible to the EL traveler’s needs.

A. Validate Order Content

  1. Members Name and Rank
  2. Names of dependents and dates of birth of children if traveling.
  3. Social Security Number
  4. Origin
  5. Destination
  6. Accounting Citation
  7. DRN (Document number)
    • For Army only: If the sponsor and the family are on the same order, the orders must contain two separate accounting lines one for the Mil the other for the DEP.

        Example: MILEMERLEAVE03 "OR" DEPEMERLEAVE03.


      NOTE: At the start of each fiscal year, the fund citation will reflect the new fiscal year. For example, MILEMERLEAVE03, will automatically change to MILEMERLEAVE04 to reflect FY04 fund citation.

  8. Order is not expired
  9. Ensure that a complete set of orders are provided.
  10. Verify that orders have been signed and approved.

FOP (Form of Payment): If the order does not direct a form of payment, or if travelers would like to use an IBA when CBA is directed, ticketing can be provided however advise the member that the orders may have to be amended before a voucher can be filed.
Any statement on the order indicating that the member is a Government IBA card holder (i.e. "IBA may be authorized") is to be interpreted as mandatory use of the IBA. Tickets can not be issued without an amended order.

See CBA - IBA Matrix for required counseling.

FOP (Form of Payment) CINCUSEUCOM: All personnel assigned to CINCUSEUCOM, who are primarily based in Stuttgart or Belgium, have been authorized to utilize their individual IBA, the Government IBA or the Government CBA regardless of the FOP directed on the travel order. If the FOP used is different than what is stated on the travel order, we must advise the traveler that the orders may have to be amended before a voucher can be filed. Reminder, government fares can only be purchased with a government IBA or Government CBA.

Special Orders: Member may provide "special orders" for travel. These are normally in email format. The email must contain items "a - g" above in order to provide travel.

Expired Order
Orders are valid from the date of issue and only for the number of days as listed on the order.

B. Communicate Entitlements

Destination CONUS (excluding Alaska and Hawaii):

  • Emergency Travel is authorized from the overseas duty station to the entry port in the United States, which was determined by USAREUR to be Boston, MA.

  • Travel must originate at the airport serving the members duty station.

      Example: Stuttgart cannot use Frankfurt. However SACOR/ITO may provide exception to this policy based on travelers circumstance.

      FYI: USAREUR may require military personnel who are deployed to Bosnia, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq to return to their Permanent Duty Station using deployment orders, and then proceed from the PDS to the emergency travel destination using the emergency leave order.

  • The member may travel to any destination that does not exceed the governments cost (base fare only) to Boston, MA. This does not have to be a non-stop flight from an overseas location.

    When determining government fare to Boston:

    • Use YCA fare if it exists.
    • If no YCA fare exists, use the lowest government fare.

    For the alternate destination airport, any government fare can be used.

    • Must be cheaper than the government cost (base fare only) to Boston, MA.
    • Cat Z and government discount fares can be used.
    • Does not require use of the YCA fare or contract carrier.

    In the example below, the member could be ticketed to IAD using a CAT Z fare ( _MZ fares):

    • YCA fare from FRA to BOS = $450
    • YCA fare from FRA to IAD = $550
    • LMZ fare from FRA to IAD = $350

  • Travel from Boston, MA or alternate airport destination, to the actual emergency leave location, must be at the member’s personal expense.

  • There are occasions in which a military member will desire to return from the United States from a different destination than the one he flew into. There is no problem with this type of request provided the cost of travel does not exceed the cost of authorized travel.

  • Dependents located in CONUS at time of notification: If a member stationed in Germany receives a red cross message that he has an emergency in CONUS, and the dependents were located in CONUS at the time of the red cross notification, no travel of dependents would be authorized at government expense to the emergency leave point. Nor, would travel be authorized from the emergency leave point back to either the location in CONUS or the the overseas area.

      JFTR U7206 states: "There is no entitlement to one-way emergency leave transportation CONUS back to an OCONUS PDS if a member or dependent(s) is on personal leave in CONUS when the emergency occurs."

Destination OCONUS (Includes Alaska and Hawaii):

  • If a Foreign Flag Carrier is used an exception form is required.
  • Business fares cannot be used.
  • Travel must originate at the airport serving the members duty station.

      Example: Stuttgart cannot use Frankfurt. However SACOR/ITO may provide exception to this policy based on travelers circumstance.

  • If a member stationed in Germany receives a red cross message that he has an emergency in OCONUS, and the dependents were located in CONUS at the time of the red cross notification, the dependents are entitled travel to the first airport of entry in which the emergency is located. The dependents are also authorized travel back to CONUS or OCONUS PDS from the emergency location.

  • Travel is only authorized to the first port of entry (nearest International Airport) in that country. Non-stop aircraft is not required. In some cases the port of entry in a neighboring county can be used provided it gets the member closer to his actual emergency leave destination.

    1. If the destination is Asia, Puerto Rico, Central America, Canada, Alaska or Pacific regions (i.e.Thailand, Philippines, Hawaii, Japan, Korea, etc.), traveler must fly an American flag carrier via the United States unless otherwise authorized by a signed exception form.

    2. If the destination is South America, Australia, Africa, or destinations within Europe, travel is authorized via the most direct route. A direct route is routing that does not require the government to pay additional travel per diem costs and does not require the government to pay additional transportation costs. Use of Foreign flag carriers require a signed exception form.

Reserve, National Guard and Active Duty TDY Personnel:

USAREUR has many personnel serving in Europe who are TDY from the States. When these personnel are notified of an emergency, they are allowed travel from the TDY station to their stateside base, or the place in which they were called to active duty. Travel from the TDY duty station to the commercial airport servicing the TDY duty station is authorized by common carrier. Common carrier is defined as rail, bus or private auto. They also may be provided travel to the actual emergency leave destination, provided the cost of travel does not exceed the cost of travel to the members authorized stateside duty station.

    Example: A member is TDY from Fort Hood to Korsovo. The member has an emergency in Tampa FL. The entitlement is to Fort Hood, however, if the cost of travel is cheaper to Tampa, the member is authorized travel to Tampa.

Entitled Travel Options

A stop-over in route is authorized as long as there are no additional costs to the government. Stop-over privilege will be determined by the rules of the airline being used.

Mode of Travel

  1. Emergency leave travel is for air transportation only. Land transportation cannot be paid from emergency leave funds.

  2. Under the ‘FLY AMERICA ACT’ all DOD funded travel is required to use American Flag air carriers whenever they are available. There are exceptions to this rule if one of the below conditions apply. The two most common exceptions are:

    • “Cannot Provide Service" usually used when travel does not involve travel to the United States (CONUS)
    • “Non-Service on Part of Route", when a Foreign Flag carrier feeder flight is needed in conjunction with an American Flag carrier.

    When using a foreign flag air carrier it is mandatory that the applicable FFEX (Foreign Flag Exception) JTR/JFTR paragraph is printed on the invoice.  Click  FFEX   for detailed information on the exceptions below.

    • FFEX1  Multilateral Agreement
    • FFEX2  Non-Service on Part of Route
    • FFEX3  Involuntary Reroute
    • FFEX4  Double Travel Time
    • FFEX5  Foreign Payment
    • FFEX6  Nonstop Service Extended Travel By 24 Hours
    • FFEX7  Aircraft change more than 2 times/travel extended by more than 6hrs/connecting time more than 4hrs
    • FFEX8  Cannot Provide Service/Medical Reasons
    • FFEX9  Unreasonable Safety Risk
    • FFEX10  Less than 1st class service available
    • FFEX11  Delay in travel/travel between midnight and 6 AM
    • FFEX12  Payment By Non Federal Source

Availability Date

No availability date requirements.

Premium Class Travel

It is DOD policy that economy class travel accommodations be used for all official travel unless higher class accommodations are properly approved. When booking a travel request keep in mind, direct air service does not have to be used. Circuitous travel can be provided if economy seating is available even if the circuitous routing is more expensive than the direct route using a COW/CRT fare.

COW/CRT fares may not be used as they are considered, by USAREUR, to be business class fares. For some routes you have the ability to override the business class fare for a unrestricted coach fare (YOW/YRT). Check with your Branch Manager for CRS entries and further instruction if required. If overriding is not possible proper approval for business class travel must be obtained. If a circuitous routing is used to avoid the use of a business class fare, the following sentence must appear on the invoice:

"Circuitous routing used to ensure an economy fare, as direct route required the use of a business class fare."

  • Approval

    In all cases appropriate approval authorities are at the General Officer (GO) level. Obtaining approval is the direct responsibility of the Authorizing Official (AO) which is also the person/agency responsible for publication of travel orders.

    Approved orders must contain the following.

    • Name of the approving General Officer.
    • The travel points the approval is being provided for.
    • The specific paragraph reference in the JTR or JFTR and reason/justification used.
    • Name and contact information of the person responsible for preparing and executing the approval request.

    To view a sample copy of a TDY travel order (DD1610), with an appropriate approval authority contained in block 16, click here.  

  • IBA
    If a customer pays with his IBA (Government Travel Card), approval is not necessary as long as the traveler is aware that the following sentence will appear on his invoice.
    "Notice: if a business class fare was purchased, you are advised that appropriate approval for this class of service has to be properly approved or you may not be reimbursed for the travel performed."

  • Round Trip Ticketing
    The issuing of a round trip ticket for one way travel as a means to obtain economy fares has been determined to be an illegal business practice. USAREUR transportation personnel have also agreed that it should not be done. SatoTravel Associates will not indulge in this practice.

  • Statements of non availability
    SatoTravel does not provide statements of non availability for economy fares. Travelers who have performed travel at personal expense, and bought tickets from other than a contract travel office, will have to discuss reimbursement with a government representative.

Excess Baggage

Orders must authorize excess baggage in order for the traveler to be reimbursed. Excess baggage cannot be charged to the CBA. The member is required to pay for excess baggage and claim reimbursement. There are special cases in which military personnel can be authorized to charge excess baggage costs to the CBA. While the SACOR / ITO can not approve this exception, they will assist the traveler in obtaining approval from the proper authority. Refer the traveler to the SACOR.

Pet Travel

Cost of pet travel is at the traveler’s personal expense.

C. Communicate Exception Options

If a customer requests an exception to their travel entitlement refer them to the SACOR / ITO for approval (exception form). SatoTravel will gladly ticket any travel request that has been approved with an authorized and signed exception form. This does not apply to Premium Class Travel. Refer to Premium Class Travel for approval authorities.
Exception Form

"SatoTravel is a government contractor. We are obligated by contract to follow the rules of the JFTR."

last update August 15, 2006