It Sounded Like A Good Idea...

But Investigators Say Pentagon Travel System Is Pricey Boondoggle

(AP)  Investigators and Congress' Government Accountability Office are now questioning the Pentagon estimates of how much it saved by replacing the old paper form system with the expensive computerized one.

A senator plans legislation to force the Pentagon to use travel agents, saying military staff is wasting too much time using the cumbersome new system and therefore erasing any cost savings.

Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., chairman of the investigative panel, said the Pentagon's idea of eliminating travel agents "would be the same as directing all DoD personnel to speak Arabic in order to save money on translation services.

"DoD is claiming the savings from reduced travel agent fees without considering the cost of having the troops do the work," Coleman said.

For 2006, the Pentagon estimated savings at between $13.9 million and $33.4 million. After 2007, the savings would range between $56 million and $177 million annually, with recent estimates supporting the higher figure, the Pentagon said.

But the cost of the Defense Travel System has skyrocketed. It grew from an initial estimate of $263 million to $474 million, bringing to mind some of the Pentagon's classic wasteful expenditures.

Coleman said further efforts to save the computer system are a waste. "I am appalled that DoD did not pull the plug on the travel function" of the new system long before now, he said.

[rf35]

DTS is the biggest joke I've seen in 15 years of service. Not only does it take days to get travel approved, but getting reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses can take months! I%u2019ve seen people lose their eligibility for the government travel card because of the time DTS takes to get them the money to pay the bill. This is particularly hard on the junior enlisted folks when the GTC bill for a lengthy trip can easily be more than they make in a month. Of course the bank with the card contract doesn%u2019t care if DTS is causing a delay in reimbursement, they just want their money. Add this cost to the DTS estimates and the deal just keeps getting worse. How about getting that Major to handle the system for me and my troops? He can pay our GTC bills while we%u2019re waiting on DTS.

[peacethinker-2009]

Why can't the government do anything efficiently and honestly? Follow the money of course, some official is likely repaying a political favor, getting a kickback or buttering-up a relative or business connection, etc.

[turnthepage2]

DTS is a farce. The guy at the Pentagon is singing the party line. The system won't let you find time and cost saving options like getting a rental car. Why should I pick up a rental at an airport for a two day trip for a drive from NRF to DC? The airport charges parking. Most rental companies allow you to park free. Addtionally, I have to bill the gov. for the miles to drive my POV to the airport! You should see how much time it takes our supervisors to validate our travel.

As gov. workers we are forced to become experts in something that other experts used to do for us. We even have another website for doing our hourly time and leave. If some auditor would add up the man-hours spent trying to learn, input, correct and navagate these systems we would truly see the hours wasted. Each new website that we are required to use has different menus and features, we need a standard webformat, that is intitutive, and that works. Internet is good for posting and hosting information, not good for data entry and databasing. We need a truthful audit of all of the systems!

[bluestardad]

If you dig this program has roots in Nepotism.