Hurricane evacuation voucher payments nearly complete

  • Published
  • By Chuck Diggle, editor
  • Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs

After Hurricane Florence side-swiped Charleston—degrading to a tropical storm by the time it affected the area—Joint Base Charleston had been efficiently evacuated. It was an exercise in emergency management in the face of a possible weather disaster. However, with that hurricane evacuation came the follow-up of reimbursement of travel expenses to all the service members and families who were required to leave the area. Over 3,600 vouchers were turned in for financial reimbursement.

 

The 628th Comptroller Squadron has been working on the vouchers since right after the hurricane. In that time, over 3,000 of those collected and sent to the Air Force Financial Services Center at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, have been paid.  This completion rate of 85 percent was reached just as the base was heading into the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The 628th CPTS continues to work on processing the remaining vouchers.

 

Airmen who have received their reimbursement should log into myPay and click the ‘Advice of Payment’ button on the menu for a detailed look at what the AFFSC did or did not pay.  If there are any discrepancies, Airmen should visit the CPTS Customer Service lobby for resolution between 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

 

For dependents that traveled without a military member, they should contact the CPTS Customer Service line at (843) 963-0729 or email 628cpts.finance@us.af.mil for an Advice of Payment.  Once they have that document, if there are questions about why an item was not reimbursed, or if there was specific direction from the AFFSC to include additional receipts, forms, etc., they should visit the CPTS Customer Service lobby and a supplemental voucher can be filed on their behalf. 

 

“I’d also remind everyone in the 628th and 437th that their Government Travel Cards are in ‘Mission Critical’ status through  Dec. 31, 2018,” said Lt. Col. Bryan Collins, 628th CPTS commander. “This should allow ample time for all reimbursement—and split-disbursements—to be made to their GTC.”

 

Fortunately, comptroller Airmen have been working hard to complete the vouchers for this hurricane evacuation. AFFSC has paid out more vouchers for this hurricane evacuation than for the one for Tropical Storm Irma in 2017.

 

“Having evacuated for storms three times in three years, we are getting more efficient each time,” said Collins. “We continue to cultivate our relationship with the AFFSC to ensure faster reimbursement for all Airmen and dependents at JB Charleston. I am confident we will have everyone reimbursed in the early part of December, ensuring a happy holiday for all.”

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