MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Each holiday season, Minot Air Force Base experiences an increase in delinquent government travel card payments.
The general consensus is most delinquencies this time of year are attributed to members using travel reimbursements for holiday-related gifts or travel, said Scott Stauffer, 5th Comptroller Squadron.
"Commanders, first sergeants, APCs and supervisors must all be aware that this time of year delinquency tends to become an issue," said Mr. Stauffer. "But in the end, responsibility to pay a GTC bill on time falls on the cardholder."
Team Minot is taking precautionary steps toward reducing GTC delinquency this year.
"We are aggressively getting the word out via briefings, wing stand-ups and training at the unit level," said Mr. Stauffer. "To combat delinquency we'll need a combined effort from everyone involved, from the cardholder to the supervisors, right up to the commanders and first sergeants."
Individuals with a GTC are notified when payment has been made for their travel voucher.
"Split disbursal should have paid airfare and lodging and whatever remaining balance of money due should have been deposited in your account," said JR Williamson, Airman and Family Readiness Center community readiness consultant and accredited financial counselor. "The day after you get your notification of payment for your travel voucher, call the 1-800 number on your GTC to get your balance and pay it. You do not need to wait for a bill to arrive in the mail from Bank of America to pay what you owe."
When an individual fails to make a GTC payment, the person is violating Article 92, Failure to Obey a Lawful Order, of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
"This can lead to account suspension and/or late fees being assessed to your card and eventually involuntary collection, which is pay garnishment," said Mr. Stauffer.
GTC delinquency does not only affect the individual who failed to make a payment, but it also has an effect on the entire base.
"If we fail to meet the Air Combat Command delinquency metric (less than 2 percent delinquency rate over 60 days past due), the base is ineligible for ACC funds available from the GTC rebate," said Mr. Stauffer. "This takes money away from discretionary spending the base can use for equipment, morale and services. We are considerably smaller than most ACC units, so our delinquency rate can be severely impacted by only a few delinquent accounts. A few delinquent accounts can spoil the entire population."
The Airman and Family Readiness Center offers a number of options to stop delinquency before it happens.
"We offer one-on-one counseling on managing your accounts," said Mr. Williamson. "We offer information on tracking your bills, tracking account transactions and budgeting spending so you can pay your bills. Also 18 squadrons on base have trained unit financial specialists to help."
USAF. (U.S. Air Force Graphic by Rosario "Charo" Gutierrez)