RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
             AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS

IN THE MATTER OF:                       DOCKET NUMBER:  BC-2003-00430
                                        INDEX CODE:  128.02
  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX                     COUNSEL:  NONE

  XXXXXXXXXXXX                          HEARING DESIRED:  NO

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APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT:

He be reimbursed in the amount of $1,245 for the shipment of  his  privately
owned vehicle (POV) in conjunction with  his  permanent  change  of  station
(PCS) from Goodfellow AFB, TX to Elmendorf AFB, AK in October 2002.

_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT:

The Goodfellow AFB Travel Management Office (TMO) advised him  that  he  was
entitled to ship one vehicle at  the  expense  of  the  government  and  his
options were to drive his POV up the Alcan Highway or take  the  ferry.   He
was never told that he could ship his  POV  unaccompanied.   He  decided  to
take the ferry; however, when he contacted the ferry company,  he  was  told
the earliest date he could arrive in Alaska was 6 November 2002.  Since  his
report-not-later-than date (RNLTD) was 21 October 2002, he decided  to  ship
his vehicle separately while he flew to Alaska.  The ferry company gave  him
phone numbers to three different barge companies and  he  made  arrangements
to ship his POV from Seattle, WA to Anchorage, AK.  He had  airline  tickets
to fly from Los Angeles, CA to Anchorage, AK, so his mother  drove  the  POV
to the port in Seattle, WA.  His mother  encountered  some  difficulties  at
the port because she did not have a government bill of  lading  (GBL).   She
convinced the barge company to ship the POV by stating they  would  be  able
to pick up the GBL  upon  delivery  to  the  applicant.   After  his  mother
informed him of the difficulties, he contacted the  Elmendorf  TMO  and  was
ultimately advised he would not be reimbursed for the shipment of  his  POV.
He at no time attempted to take advantage  of  the  system  or  do  anything
incorrectly.  Had the POV shipping  process  been  thoroughly  explained  to
him, he would have followed the correct procedures and used the  government-
approved shipping company.

In support of his application, the applicant submits a personnel  statement;
copies of his PCS order, a Bill of Lading, a paid shipment  invoice,  an  E-
mail to his commander with the three barge  company  phone  numbers;  and  a
letter informing his commander of the  sequence  of  events  concerning  the
shipment  of  his  POV.    The   applicant’s   complete   submission,   with
attachments, is at Exhibit A.

_________________________________________________________________

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

According to the military personnel  data  system  (MilPDS),  the  applicant
enlisted in the Regular Air Force on 2 April 2002 at the age of  25  in  the
grade of  airman  first  class  (E-2).   The  applicant’s  current  date  of
separation is 1 April 2006.

By orders, dated 16 September 2002, the  applicant  made  a  PCS  move  from
Goodfellow AFB, TX to Elmendorf AFB, AK in October 2002.  He paid  $1,245.43
to ship his POV from Seattle, WA to Haines, AK at personal expense.

The remaining relevant facts pertaining to this application, extracted  from
the applicant’s military records, are contained in the  letter  prepared  by
the appropriate office of the Air Force at Exhibit C.

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AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

JPPSO-SAT/ECAF recommends denial of the applicant’s  request.   ECAF  states
the applicant’s decision to ship his POV at personal expense was  not  based
on erroneous advice from transportation personnel.

In accordance with paragraph U5410-A of the Joint Federal Travel  Regulation
(JFTR), when a POV  shipment  is  authorized,  one  POV  not  to  exceed  20
measurement tons may be transported from the POV port or vehicle  processing
center (VPC) serving the old permanent duty station (PDS) or a POV  port/VPC
serving the passenger port of debarkations (POD)  or  any  POV  port/VPC  in
between the old and new PDS to the POV unloading port/VPC servicing the  new
PDS at no cost to the service member.  For members making a PCS  to  Alaska,
the member may ship a POV through the Global POV Contract  system,  drive  a
vehicle over the Alcan Highway, or take  a  vehicle  on  the  Alaska  Marine
Highway System (AMHS) ferry.  To drive the ALCAN Highway or take  a  vehicle
on the AMHS ferry, members must have a reservation prior  to  departing  the
old PDS.  The TMO or member calls the AMHS reservations office  in  Seattle,
WA for rates, schedules and booking information.  After  confirmation,  AMHS
will fax to the TMO the confirmation number;  a  list  of  all  charges,  to
include the cost for the vehicle, travel cost for the  member  and  command-
sponsored dependents, if applicable; scheduled departure date and time;  and
arrival date and time in Alaska.

For members departing Goodfellow AFB who wish to take a vehicle on the  AMHS
ferry, the member calls the AMHS office  direct  to  obtain  a  reservation.
When the TMO office  receives  the  confirmation  number  and  booking,  the
information is provided to the member  to  take  to  finance  to  obtain  an
advance operating allowance to cover the cost of the ferry.



The applicant’s statement that when he  called  the  ferry  company  he  was
informed the earliest he could arrive in Alaska via the  ferry  would  be  6
November 2002 is not supported by the facts.   On  26  September  2002,  the
applicant departed Goodfellow AFB on leave with a RNLTD to Elmendorf AFB  of
21  October  2002.   During  this  period,  AMHS  ferry  had  sailing  dates
departing the Seattle, WA area and  arriving  in  Haines,  AK  the  port  of
discharge, on the following dates:

     Departing 27 Sep 02     arriving 30 Sep 02
     Departing 04 Oct 02     arriving 07 Oct 02
     Departing 11 Oct 02     arriving 14 Oct 02
     Departing 18 Oct 02     arriving 21 Oct 02

Members who wish to transport a vehicle via the AMHS  ferry  must  have  the
authorization included in their PCS orders.  The applicant’s orders  do  not
contain the authorization to transport a POV via the  AMHS  ferry.   Members
must obtain reservations for the  ferry  prior  to  departing  their  origin
base.   The  applicant  did  not  obtain  reservations  prior  to  departing
Goodfellow AFB.  When members  wish  to  travel  via  ferry,  they  are  not
authorized airline  tickets  for  air  travel.   The  applicant  was  issued
airline tickets prior to departing his origin base.  The TMO  at  Goodfellow
AFB states the applicant discussed travel by POV via  the  AMHS  ferry  with
them but decided  against  it  and  requested  an  airline  ticket.   On  23
September 2002, they issued airline tickets  for  the  applicant  to  travel
from Los Angeles, CA, his leave address, to  Anchorage,  AK  on  21  October
2002.  At the time he departed his origin base, it is clear to ECAF that  he
did not intend to travel to  Alaska  via  the  AMHS  ferry.   The  applicant
requested and received airline tickets; therefore, he was  not  entitled  to
surface transportation via the ferry.  The JPPSO-SAT/ECAF evaluation  is  at
Exhibit C.
_________________________________________________________________

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION:

A copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to the  applicant  on  25
April 2003 for review and comment (Exhibits D).  As  of  this  date,  this
office has received no response.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT:

1.  The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided  by  existing  law  or
regulations.

2.  The application was timely filed.

3.  Insufficient relevant evidence has been presented  to  demonstrate  the
existence of probable error or injustice.  After reviewing the evidence  of
record, the Board is not persuaded that the applicant has been  the  victim
of an error or injustice.  The applicant’s PCS  orders  did  not  authorize
transportation of his POV via the AMHS ferry.  In addition,  the  applicant
was issued and accepted an airline ticket prior  to  departing  his  origin
base.  Had he indicated he wished to ship his POV via the  AMHS  ferry,  he
would have had to have a reservation prior to departing  his  origin  base,
accompany his POV, and he would not have been  issued  an  airline  ticket.
The applicant asserts that the POV shipping process had not been thoroughly
explained to him.  However, other than his own assertions, he has  provided
no evidence that would lead  us  to  believe  the  TMO  counselor  provided
misleading or inaccurate information.  In this regard, we  agree  with  the
opinion  and  recommendation  of  the   Air   Force   office   of   primary
responsibility and adopt their rationale as the basis  for  our  conclusion
that the applicant has not been  the  victim  of  an  error  or  injustice.
Therefore, in  the  absence  of  evidence  to  the  contrary,  we  find  no
compelling  basis  to  recommend  granting  the  relief  sought   in   this
application.

_________________________________________________________________

THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT:

The applicant be notified that the evidence presented  did  not  demonstrate
the existence of material error  or  injustice;  that  the  application  was
denied without a personal appearance; and that the application will only  be
reconsidered upon the submission of newly discovered relevant  evidence  not
considered with this application.

_________________________________________________________________

The following members of the Board considered this application in  Executive
Session on 18 June 2003, under the provisions of AFI 36-2603:

            Mr. Thomas S. Markiewicz, Vice Chair
            Mr. Wayne R. Gracie, Member
            Mr. Billy C. Baxter, Member

The following documentary evidence for AFBCMR  Docket  Number  BC-2003-00430
was considered:

     Exhibit A.  DD Forms 149, dated 21 Jan 03.
     Exhibit B.  Applicant's Master Personnel Records.
     Exhibit C.  Letter, JPPSO-SAT/ECAF, dated 16 Apr 03.
     Exhibit D.  Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 25 Apr 03.




                                  THOMAS S. MARKIEWICZ
                                  Vice Chair