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Defense Travel System (DTS) Frequently Asked Questions

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 – Air Force Reserve Command continues preparations to fully implement Defense Travel System Oct. 1, 2023 and transition away from legacy programs for its travel management needs.

Once implemented, the initiative is intended to reduce delays in processing since members will no longer have to rely on financial management specialists who are hundreds of miles away to review and approve vouchers for payment.

The following questions and answers are intended to assist Citizen Airmen as the Air Force Reserve Command transitions to increased use of the Defense Travel System effective Oct. 1, 2023.

Q. What is DTS? A: The Defense Travel System (DTS) is a fully integrated, automated, end-to-end travel management system that enables DoD travelers to create authorizations (TDY travel orders), prepare reservations, receive approvals, generate travel vouchers, and receive a split reimbursement between their bank accounts and the Government Travel Charge Card (GTCC).

Q: Why are we moving to DTS when My Travel will be mandatory in 2 years? A: Officials at AFRC are taking steps now to address longstanding Program, Policy and Training issues associated with official travel that are hindering the readiness for Citizen Airmen. Recent guidance was released that we will not be moving to MyTravel. Moving to DTS falls in line with the CAFR’s strategic priorities of “Ready Now” and “Transforming for the Future.” We are seeking to alleviate stressors on our Airmen now, which impacts readiness and retention.

Q: How will this change affect Citizen Airmen? A: AFRC is consolidating to a single platform for most all travel needs. Currently, we use AROWS-R to generate an AF Form 938 which populates with travel information and is our travel document for TDYs Annual Tour, MPA/RPA, etc. Once the change is implemented, the command will shift over entirely to DTS. The AF Form 938 will still be populated to “call Reservists to Active Duty via AROWS-R. However, it will not be used as a travel order as it been previously. The travel order will now be produced on a DD Form 1610 (generated in DTS).

Q. Who can I contact for assistance or questions concerning DTS? A: Every unit has an appointed Lead Defense Travel Administrator (LDTA). They are responsible to assist you in setting up your DTS account and ensuring you are receiving the proper DTS training and support. An Organization Defense Travel Administrator (ODTA) can also assist you to prepare an authorization and voucher.

Q: When can I expect more guidance on the transition to DTS? A: Officials at Air Force Reserve Command are providing guidance to Financial Management sections at units now so they can serve as local subject matter experts. They will also begin training LDTAs and ODTAs on the new functions that will be performed in DTS as part of the transition.

Q: What steps should I be taking today to prepare for the transition? A: Begin using DTS now. Log into DTS now and establish your profile. [Wing FMs} Prepare internal deadlines to and initiate measures to guide Airmen who are accustomed to using RTS on the new process.

Q: How is the command planning on implementing the change to DTS for all travel requirements? A: The goal is to fully transition to DTS by 1 Oct 23 with minor exceptions (i,e. attendance at BMT and PCS travel). Traditional Reservists and IMAs on MPA orders will follow guidance implemented Oct 22. The AF Form 938 will still be generated in AROWS-R and required for activation regardless of funding source (RPA, MPA, etc) after the 1 Oct transition.

Q: How are DTS documents processed? A: Documents are submitted, processed, and approved at the organization responsible for funding the travel. Once approved by the organizational approving official, the payment is electronically sent to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) for payment via electronic funds transfer (EFT) to the traveler’s bank account.

Q: Will Air Reserve Technicians maintain dual profiles? A: Due to multiple business rule requirements, ARTs will maintain dual profiles.

Commander Support Staff

Q: What does the transition to DTS mean for employees in a unit’s CSS who typically generate orders? Will CSS representatives still produce orders or will the member be responsible for all aspects of the process? A: CSS/Orders writers will continue to generate orders in AROWS-R (AF Form 938) to bring members into a duty status. All travel will be accomplished in DTS (by the member).

Q: Is this statement still required on the AF Form 938? Alternate means such as Secure Video Teleconference (SVTC) or other web-based communications are not sufficient to accomplish travel objectives Development Team meetings of this size because the force development process requires significant, dedicated time for discussion and hands-on record reviews, and placement of students to correct courses. A: Yes

Q: Is UTAPS still required to forecast AT and IDTs or is UTAPS also sunsetting on 1 Oct 23? A: The transition to DTS will not effect UTAPS current requirements or processes.

DTS Use and Functions

Q: We have aircrew members who fly missions as a group. Does DTS allow personnel to submit a group authorization & voucher? A: Group authorization and group voucher training is available on the DTMO site.

Q: Does the AF Form 938 have to be processed and approved prior to initiating a travel authorization in DTS? A: Yes, the AF Form 938 needs to be attached to the DTS authorization for approval/authorization.

Q: DD Form 1610s have historically been created in AROWS-R. Will the DTS authorization replace the 1610 orders request? A: Yes. Members will be able to print their own DD Form 1610 after initiating their authorization in DTS. DD Form 1610s will be generated in DTS with the ability to print from the authorization.

Q: Travel is being turned of in AROWS-R soon. When members build their authorizations, will they have to select a budget label to coincide with their type of duty? A: Yes, the traveler or person creating the DTS authorization will select the Accounting/Budget label for accepted travel expenses.

Q: Will the new DTS transition allow for filing local vouchers within DTS? A: Yes, local vouchers will be filed in DTS.

Q: Will there be another step or review put in place on the authorizations to ensure the proper funding is being used depending on the status of the member as listed on the AF 938. A: Yes, Resource Advisors (RAs) can be added to the routing list if the unit chooses.

Q: Will Traditional Reservists (TRs) be responsible for building their own travel authorizations? A: Yes, end users will be responsible for building their own authorizations in DTS.

Q: Will DTS be updated to include “other mileage” rate? A: Officials at AFRC/FM are working through this process. Contact your local FM representative if you have questions on this issue.

Q: Can you please elaborate on why AROWS-R was not kept “as is” and adjustments made to simply route all applicable RTS orders to DTS? A: The move to take travel out of AROWS-R into DTS was a corporate decision. Separating the process of placing a member in military status (AF Form 938) and the travel process (DD Form 1610) better aligns the Reserve with Active Duty.

Q: Since we are not to use travel days for our AROWS-R requests, do units need to resubmit AROWS requests for FY24 that have already been submitted? For example, I have a member who signed up for school from 27 Nov 23 to 7 Dec 23 with a travel day at the beginning and end of the TDY. Do I need to cancel this order? A: Yes, all orders that were routed and approved without the manual workaround should be cancelled and resubmitted in AROWS-R using the new “Corporate City Limits” process.

Q: Is it possible to MOD those orders that were created previously and labeled as RTS? A: Orders currently routing to RTS should not be curtailed, MOD’d or cancelled. The change is for orders starting on or after 1 Oct 23 unless transitioned earlier.

Q: If an order that includes travel crosses over into FY24, should the unit cancel the order 30 Sep 23 and start a new one in its place? A: Any orders that started in AROWS-R for processing in RTS in FY23 and cross over into the new fiscal year should finish and be filed in RTS.

Budget and Lines of Accounting

Q: What DTS label will MPA mileage only orders use to tale the place of FC30 in PBAS? A: Use the same LOA as the other travel items on the authorization.

Q: Will DTS offer two Lines Of Accounting for centrally funded schools when members are authorized rental cars with a unit funded school LOA? A: Yes, DTS will accommodate multiple LOAs.

Q: If orders are mileage only then the LOA will not import into DTS. I have many active fund cites in AROWS. Will I have to build all those in DTS now? A: There will not be an import. Local vouchers will be processed for mileage only. We are working with the Budgets to see what level the LOAs need to be built at to allow the least amount of lines to be manually created.

Q: If non-corporate limits orders are cut as corporate (mileage only) will the travel obligate when the authorization is approved in DTS or when the DTS voucher is filed? I’m concerned with following the money on my SOF. A: Corporate Limits does not create any travel expense entitlement. This is the workaround to remove travel from AROWS-R without extensive programming. Additionally, for mileage only, the obligation will occur when the member submits a local voucher in DTS.

Q: Will Special Partial Payments be an option (to alleviate the member from having to file every 30 days)? A: Yes. DTS has an option in the authorization (for 46+ day orders) to schedule partial payments. As long as a voucher is not initiated, members can go into DTS and adjust their partial payments, as needed. Training available in Defense Travel System (DTS) Guide 2: Authorizations (pg. 80)

Q: From what we understand currently, any order that is under 45 days will not have the option in DTS to make partial payments. So, if a member is on a long tour order over 31 days but less than 45 and goes TDY multiple times while on that order, he/she will not be able to get paid for any of those trips until after the order is over and voucher submitted. A: If each TDY is a separate trip and return to PDS or Home Of Record between trips, the members should create a DTS authorization for the intent of the trave required – voucher will be created after trip competition.

Q: Officials at AFRC are going to turn travel off in AROWS-R effective 1 Oct 2023. When members build their authorizations, will they have to select a budget label to coincide with their type of duty? A: Yes, the traveler or person creating the DTS Authorization will select the Accounting/Budget Label for associated travel expenses

Q: Since mileage will not be paid through MILPAY anymore, will the mileage cost be obligated through DEAMS and if the member doesn’t want to complete a voucher for the mileage only will that cost show up on the UOO report? A: Mileage only will be a local voucher. Local vouchers will straight pay from the LOA in DEAMS, no UOO will be established. Additionally, Mileage Only is on the “Processes under Review” list – more to follow.

Q; If non-corporate limits orders are cut as corporate (mileage only) will the travel obligate when the authorization is approved in DTS or when the DTS voucher is filed? I’m concerned with following the money on my Status of Funds (SOF). A: Corporate Limits does not create any travel expense entitlement. This is the workaround to remove travel from AROWS-R without extensive programming. Additionally, for mileage only, the obligation will occur when the member submits a local voucher in DTS.

Q: If orders previously created are labeled as RTS during this transition, as you stated orders won’t stop, but is there a way to mod the original order to state DTS instead? A: Orders currently routing to RTS now should not be curtailed, mod’d, or cancelled. This change is for orders starting on or after 1 Oct 2023 unless transitioned earlier

Q: Are MOB/ACT orders going to be done the same way or will the FGC be loading the Auth in DTS since they do the 938? A: There will be no change to this process

Q: Regarding long tour orders: if duty crosses over into FY24, should the orders end in AROWS on 9/30 then pick it up in DTS starting 10/1? A: If a tour starts in AROWS you will continue the order in AROWS. (Note: Depending on the tour length, it may be deemed a Permanent Change of Station and PCS orders will not be processed in DTS).

Q: Who is copying/loading the budget in September/October? Are units responsible for this? A: Yes, units are responsible. FM shops are responsible for loading and maintaining budgets in DTS.

Authorizations

Q: How do I check the status of my authorization? A: Check document status by logging in to DTS. Go to “Official Travel” vouchers or authorization, and then look in the “Sort by Status” column. Or, go to the digital signature page within the document. If you can’t access to DTS, contact your Defense Travel Administrator (DTA) to check the status of your document. Find out from your supervisor who the DTA is for your organization.

Q: Why isn’t the Authorization built automatically in DTS like before (from AROWS-R)? A: AROWS-R will no longer “flow” into DTS and create an authorization. AROWS-R will be creating the “Call to Duty” AF938. This will be used to put a TR/IR in “active” status, and establish Military Pay. The AF938 will no longer serve as a travel authorization, so the “flow” to DTS will no longer exist. The 1610 (Travel Authorization document) will be generated in DTS when the authorization is built by the member (or the ODTA).

Q: What if: Member travels on a Sunday and performs Annual Tour Duty on Monday thru Thursday. On Friday, the member does an RMP and Saturday and Sunday are UTA days. The next Monday and Tuesday are back on Annual Tour. Wednesday is a AFTP day and member then departs the base on Wednesday and returns home. A: The orders specialist needs to zero out per diem and lodging for the days not on AT. The travel and “in-place” can be placed on one authorization. As with any authorization and voucher, be sure to add comments before signing so the reviewer and approver have an understanding of your specific situation. Lodging will not be included in the authorization since UTA lodging is a direct bill (Sunday night lodging can be manually adjusted if needed). The rest of the travel per diem can be established as usual. The zeroed out days will be achieved by selecting “Duty Days (no per diem). See link for quick instructional video

Q: What’s the process or workaround if we have members who don’t have CAC enabled computers at home? Several members don’t necessarily have the funds to purchase personal computers to ensure they can stay connected with the Reserve’s administrative processes. A: This will be a local decision for Wing CCs and likely to vary but can be completed by an NDEA. Defense Travel System regulations state NDEAs are authorized to input and digitally sign DTS vouchers for travelers who do not reasonably have access to computers.

Q: Who is considered FM for FM review where IDT travel reimbursement is concerned? Does this refer to those physically in the FM office or those who are FM coded? A: For the FM review, the person must actually be in the FM office.

Q: How will we track IDT trips in DTS per member to ensure they do not exceed 12? A: The process of tracking the number of IDT-Rs paid out to each member can be tracked by local policy/procedure.

Q: Will the LOA name for the IDT-R be up to the organization? If so, is it safe to assume the name could be different from other organizations? A: IDT-R Lines Of Accounting and routing lists will be established locally (not by AFRC).

Q: Is there a permission group that can be added to DTS for Read-Only visibility of unit members and where the vouchers are currently to verify if the vouchers moved as opposed to permission 5 that allows edits to the vouchers? A: No, Wing DTS Points Of Contact have access to reports to monitor document status. Members have the ability to view where their voucher is at any time. To do so, members simply need to open the voucher in DTS , click “View” on the applicable voucher and select “Sign and Submit” to get to the screen that shows the routing list and where the voucher is currently.

Q: Will there be another step or review put in place on the authorizations to ensure the proper funding is being utilized depending on the status the member is on as reflected on the AF Form 938 or ART/AGR status? A: Resource Advisors can be added to the routing list is the unit so chooses.

Inactive Duty Travel Reimbursement

Q: When it comes to meal expenses on IDT-R travel days, do we select the “Create Your Own Expense” line item or is there something more specific to this circumstance coming later? A: Until further notice, IDT-R meal expenses will be entered as a “Create Your Own Expense” line item.

Q: For IDTs, are members going to be charged CTO fees to book flights? The $500 usually doesn’t cover my providers flight and parking fee, so that would be an additional expense they would have to pay out of pocket.

Q: Reservists assigned to the Development & Training Flight are authorized IDT travel when attending UTAs prior to departing for Basic Military Training. Their Common Access Card will not allow them to access to complete required tasks. The ODTA could build their authorization but will not be able to sign the voucher. How will these individuals be able to finalize their vouchers to receive payments? A: IDT travel reimbursement for D&TF trainees will remain as it is currently which is within RTS.

Q: It appears IDT travel outside of normal commute will transition to DTS. Does this mean the Form 1164 is going away or will members still use it to request lodging reimbursement when not on the critical AFSC listing? A: Yes, the Form 1164 is going away. Additional guidance is provided in the updated IDT-R Guide (located on the AFRC/FM SharePoint site). Members will use a local voucher in DTS in lieu of a paper Form 1164. If a member is not on the approved IDT-R list, they will follow the normal process for securing lodging based on local policies/procedures. This process will not change.

Local Defense Travel Administrator/Organizational Defense Travel Administrator Functions Q: Every Air Force Reserve organization is authorized a position for a LDTA. Does that include tenant units (such as a unit that is being hosted by another AFRC unit)? A: As of 10 Aug 23, GSU/tenant locations who work under separate OBANs will be given the FDTA role to manage their funding in DTS.

Q: Tenants don’t have FDTAs – who will be responsible for loading the travel lines and funding? A: Wing LDTA/FMA offices will be loading LOAs and funding in DTS.

Q: Will AFRC FM train participation specialists on how to cut orders, FM Final Certifiers to review/approve orders, RPA and O&M Budget Analysts on when/how funds will be committed/obligated/move through the various accounting stages in DEAMS? A: AFRC FM will train the LDTAs on loading budgets in DTS. FM will be responsible for training their Wing establishing local policy and training their Wing on the process.

Q: Will the FMA side become FDTAs and have the responsibility of managing that function, or will we have the LDTA manage the LOA and budget label maintenance? A: It has been identified that the best practice is to have LDTAs/FMAs build LOAs in DTS and load funding for their Wing.

Orders/AF Form 938s Q: If orders previously created are labeled as RTS during this transition and will still be in effect, is there a way to MOD the initial order to route to DTS instead? A: Orders currently routing to RTS now should not be curtailed, modified or cancelled. This change is for orders starting on or after Oct. 1, 2023 unless transitioned earlier.

Q: Are MOB/ACT orders going to be generated the same way or will the Force Generation Center load the authorization in DTS since they produce the AF 938 for deployers? A: There will be no change to this process.

Q: If duty crosses over into FY24 on long tour orders, should the orders end in AROWS-R on Sept. 30, 2023 and then pick up in DTS on Oct. 1, 2023? A: If a tour starts in AROWS-R, it should be continued in AROWS-R (Depending on the tour length, it may be a PCS and PCS orders are not processed in DTS).

Q: What is the approximate amount of time it will take for a voucher to be paid after a member submits in DTS (Note: question is specifically asking the amount of time it will take from when the voucher is submitted by the member and not when it is AO approved until payment is received)? A: After a voucher is approved, members can expect payment within 3-5 business days. The amount of time it takes routing to Reviewer and Approver will vary by unit.

Special Circumstances (Deployments, Basic Military Training, etc.)

Q: What is the reason that deployment orders will not be moving to DTS? Is there an identified reason that is not allowing for it? AD creates the CED authorization directly in DTS; shouldn’t we as well? A: Deployments are on the “Processes under Review” list – more to come.

Q: When “review” for IDT reimbursement was mentioned, does that require utilization of the “process name” routing the way the Travel Agency book/submit steps are constructed or will units have to make an IDT routing list that includes FM review? A: AFRC/FM is still working through this process (suggesting the possibility of each unit creating IDT routing lists).

Q: For any member whose AFSC qualifies for the IDT reimbursement (up to $500) for residing outside the commuting distance for UTAs, will their reimbursement request be processed through the DTS “Local Voucher?” A: Yes, this will be processed in DTS. Officials from AFRC/FM are still working this issue.

Story by Lt. Col. James Wilson 919th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

The Defense Travel System (DTS): An Overview

Julie Provost

Dts: informational guide for the defense travel system.

Table of Contents

The prospect of traveling and seeing the world is one of many draws of service in our nation’s military. Whether if it is changing duty stations, going on a deployment or for official business, such as training or retirement out-processing; travel is a reality for both military members and Department of Defense (DoD) Civilian personnel.  The Defense Travel System (DTS) is a fully integrated, automated, end-to-end travel management system that enables United States Department of Defense travelers to create authorizations, Temporary Duty Travel (TDY) orders, prepare reservations, receive approvals, generate travel vouchers, and receive a split reimbursement between their bank accounts and the Government Travel Charge Card (GTCC) vendor. DTS operates at over 9,500 total sites worldwide, and on average, DTS processes more than 25,000 transactions while approximately 100,000 unique users access it daily. The traveler can access DTS via a single web portal available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

What Is DTS?

DTS provides full functionality, accessibility, and security when processing travel documents. You may search for airline, hotel, car rental, and rail availability as well as gather other details to plan a trip. Real-time reservations for air, lodging, and rental cars are built into DTS to provide easy access to commercial travel service information. The system streamlines workflow and processes to improve efficiency and productivity.  DTS meets the major functional requirements of the DoD and serves the needs of all users and travelers. A Common Access Card (CAC) is needed to access the site. The following is a short informational guide on three areas of DTS that tend to create conflict for DoD personnel.

Logging Into DTS

Logging Into DTS. Before you can access DTS, you will need to ensure your web browser is fully compatible, obtain a digital PKI certificate and contact your Defense Travel Administrator (DTA) about setting up an account. You must have an active DTS profile to log into DTS . Although you can create your own profile as part of the login process, your organization may prefer to have a DTA create a profile for you. Note: If you unintentionally create a self-registration profile, you can remove the entry. The most common reason for profile rejection is entering the wrong DTS Organization. If you enter the wrong organization, your self-registration request routes to the incorrect DTA, who does not know you, so the DTA will not accept the request. The DTA will reject the submission, providing comments explaining you selected the wrong organization, and advise you to contact your DTA or supervisor for assistance. Once you make the corrections, re-submit the profile. Your Component Representatives can also provide more information on DTS. You can find contact information for your Component Representatives here .  For more info, please go here .

Creating an Authorization

Creating an Authorization. A DTS authorization captures information regarding an upcoming TDY (locations, should-cost estimates, and travel information). Essentially, the authorization is a means of informing everyone who needs to know when you will be gone, where you will be working, and how much you expect your trip to cost. When you create a TDY authorization in DTS, the system accesses database information from your DTS personal profile, your organization’s budget, and DoD travel regulations to help streamline the document creation process.  For more info, please go here .

Creating a Voucher

Creating a Voucher. A voucher is a claim for reimbursement of actual expenses you incurred and payment of allowances you earned while you were TDY. When you create a voucher in DTS, the system populates it with information from your approved DTS authorization. DTS lets you create a voucher before or during your TDY, but you cannot sign it until your trip is complete. DoD policy mandates travel voucher submission within five working days of returning from TDY. Information on authorizations includes (by design) cost estimates and assumptions about an upcoming trip. Since the voucher must always reflect accurate cost and trip information, you must update the voucher from estimated charges to actuals based upon the trip. In other words, your primary responsibility on a voucher is to make changes to it. Note: DoD travelers must stay within the constraints of the authorization order, unless otherwise authorized by the Authorizing Official (AO). Failure to follow this guideline could result in out-of-pocket expenses at cost to the traveler , that may not get reimbursed.

DTS Training. In addition to providing a wide variety of on-demand and scheduled training, the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) publishes many useful resources such as Manuals, Guides, and Trifolds that clarify many aspects of official travel.

DTMO offers both web-based Training and Distance Learning for DoD personnel. All courses are offered through Travel Explorer (TraX). To access TraX, users must register through Passport, DTMO’s web portal. DTS can be a complicated system, however, with the resources and training provided by the DTMO, the DoD traveler can ensure that travel pay is one stress they do not have to worry about.

https://dtsproweb.defensetravel.osd.mil/dts-app/pubsite/all/view/

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About the author

Julie Provost is a freelance writer, and blogger. She lives in Tennessee with her National Guard husband and three boys.

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DOD Plans Return to 'Defense Travel System'

In a memorandum released last month, the Defense Department announced that previous directions to begin using the new MyTravel system have been repealed, and agencies should instead return to using the existing Defense Travel System.  

"DOD organizations currently using MyTravel are no longer required to use the system," wrote Gilbert R. Cisneros Jr., undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, in a memorandum dated May 24. "Additionally, DOD organizations may suspend the planning and implementation of future financial system integrations."  

Both the Defense Travel System, or DTS, and MyTravel, are web-based applications that allow military and civilian personnel within the military services and DOD to plan official government travel.   

The systems automate the booking of flights, lodging and rental cars and also produce official travel orders. When returning from a trip, the systems allow for the documenting of expenses and the generation of vouchers so travelers can be compensated for their expenses.  

The Defense Travel System has been in use within the department for about 25 years. Before that, travel was planned using paper forms and telephones.  

In August 2018, the department announced it had selected SAP Concur's software as a service product, later branded as MyTravel, to replace DTS.  And in an October 2022 memorandum, Cisneros directed DOD travelers to begin using MyTravel, when possible.   

That direction has now been rescinded. Instead, travelers are instructed to use DTS for all new travel that ends after July 13, 2023.  

Cisneros said DOD will cease MyTravel operations in September 2023.  

Officials within the DOD's Defense Human Resources Activity said continued development of the MyTravel system is no longer in the best interests of the Department.  

Reasons for that include decreases in travel due to COVID-19 , increases in virtual meetings, and a shift in departmental focus to achieving a clean financial audit.  

According to a DOD press release, the department spends about $9 billion annually on travel, with temporary duty travel comprising about 70 percent of all travel vouchers.  

For More Information  "MyTravel" Update      Repeal of Mandatory Use of MyTravel   

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A New Travel System Is Coming to Replace the Antiquated DTS

The Department of Defense has approved a new contract to replace its current Defense Travel System, or DTS, reporting process.

The new system, scheduled to be fully online by fiscal 2025, will be known as "MyTravel." It will allow military travelers to buy plane tickets, make hotel reservations and file for travel reimbursement from one online location.

The cloud-based system will be created, administered and hosted by Concur Technologies, which, according to contract documents , has experience working with the DoD and has "worked on integration [and] DoD cybersecurity compliance for the past three years."

The current DTS travel system was created by the DoD and has been around in one form or another since 1998. There have been several modifications and updates throughout the years, but the costs of maintaining it are becoming prohibitive, according to contract documents.

FedScoop.com reported that the new contract is worth $374 million.

The DoD predicts that migrating from the current system to the new subscription-based civilian designed system will give taxpayers overall cost savings and provide improved usability.

The new travel system will be phased in over the next three years. The DoD anticipates that all leave, medical, training and exercise travel will be processed through it by 2025. When fully operational, the travel system should process more than 3.8 million transactions annually, according to the contract documents.

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Middle East Crisis U.S. Won’t Suspend Aid, for Now, to Israeli Unit Accused of Abuses

• Share full article

• Israeli police detaining protesters during a demonstration by Israeli and American rabbis near the Erez crossing into Gaza. Reuters
• Palestinian children waiting for a water supply tank in Rafah, southern Gaza. Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
• Damage in the area of Nabatieh, southern Lebanon. Ramiz Dallah/Anadolu, via Getty Images
• Walking past posters in Tel Aviv of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
• Hanging around the apparent remains of a ballistic missile near the southern Israeli city of Arad. Amir Cohen/Reuters
• Palestinians on a hot day at a beach west of Deir al Balah in southern Gaza. Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock

Follow live news updates on the crisis in the Middle East .

Blinken says the U.S. could take action if Israel fails to hold its troops accountable.

The Biden administration, which has been under pressure for its support of Israel’s war in Gaza, will not withhold military aid from a troubled military unit accused of human rights violations in the West Bank, so long as Israel continues with steps to hold the members of the unit accountable.

In an undated letter, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken told the House speaker, Mike Johnson, that the United States was working with Israel to address charges against the unit, the Netzah Yehuda battalion. Though the letter did not mention the battalion’s name, a U.S. official confirmed that Mr. Blinken was referring to Netzah Yehuda, which has been investigated for crimes in the West Bank predating the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack that set off the war in Gaza.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss delicate diplomacy, said that the Biden administration could still take action against Netzah Yehuda if it concludes that Israel has not taken sufficient steps to hold its members to account.

The letter, obtained by The New York Times, said the State Department had determined that Netzah Yehuda had committed “gross human rights violations” against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

U.S. officials had reached similar findings about two other Israeli military units and two civilian units, the letter said, but in those cases the Biden administration had decided not to withhold military aid because Israel was already acting to “bring to justice” culpable service members.

Mr. Blinken assured Mr. Johnson in the letter, reported earlier by ABC News , that the United States “will not delay the delivery of any U.S. assistance, and Israel will be able to receive the full amount appropriated by Congress.”

Under federal statutes commonly known as the Leahy law , the U.S. government must deny aid to foreign military units found to have committed gross violations of human rights without accountability. The law allows for the targeting of individual units without cutting off entire foreign militaries.

It was not clear what practical effect any such move might have, given that funding of specific Israeli units is hard to track, and it is unclear whether the units mentioned in the letter receive American training or equipment.

Still, the news last week that U.S. officials were considering withholding aid from Israeli military units for abuses prompted a furious response from Israel and from Mr. Johnson, a strong supporter of the current Israeli government. Mr. Johnson said this week that he had called the White House in protest and had received an assurance in writing that none of the billions in additional U.S. aid to Israel approved by Congress this week would be affected.

The Biden administration has faced growing calls to restrict American aid to Israel over its military offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attacks in October. President Biden so far has declined to place conditions on U.S. aid over Israel’s devastating tactics in the Gaza war, though he has taken several steps in response to violence by Israelis in the West Bank, including placing sanctions against several Israeli settlers for what the U.S. has called “extremist” acts of violence against Palestinians.

In his letter to the Republican House speaker, Mr. Blinken said that two Israeli battalions and “civilian authority units,” none of which he named, had committed human rights abuses but that he had “determined that the Israeli government has conducted effective remediation of the units involved.” He defined remediation as a process in which a foreign government takes “effective steps to bring to justice the responsible members of the unit.”

In the case of Netzah Yehuda, which he did not cite by name, he said that “there has not been effective remediation to date” but that the Israeli government “has presented new information regarding the status of the unit, and we will engage on identifying a path to effective remediation for this unit.”

Mr. Blinken is planning to travel to Israel next week for meetings with Israeli leaders to discuss efforts to free hostages from Gaza and an impending Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, an Israeli official said on Friday. It was not immediately clear whether he would discuss Netzah Yehuda. Mr. Blinken has discussed the matter by phone with senior Israeli officials in recent days.

Under the terms of a 10-year security agreement that the United States and Israel reached in 2016, the United States must consult with Israeli officials before placing restrictions on security assistance. That consultation is ongoing, according to the U.S. official.

Netzah Yehuda, which was created to accommodate the religious practices of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community, has been repeatedly accused of mistreating Palestinians.

In January 2022, according to witnesses, its soldiers bound and gagged a 78-year-old Palestinian American who died of a heart attack while in military custody. An investigation concluded that the two soldiers who bound the man thought he was sleeping. The soldiers faced disciplinary action but no criminal charges were brought.

The unit was transferred in 2022 from the West Bank to the Golan Heights in northern Israel, according to Mr. Blinken’s letter.

Mr. Blinken added that no other Israeli units had been found culpable of rights violations under the Leahy Law and that the administration’s deliberations “will have no impact on our support for Israel’s ability to defend itself against Hamas, Iran, Hezbollah or other threats.”

— Michael Crowley reporting from Washington

Blinken will make another wartime trip to Israel.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will visit Israel next week, an Israeli official said on Friday, as talks on a cease-fire deal that would allow for the release of hostages held in Gaza appear stalled and tensions have risen between Israel and the United States over the war.

The Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of lack of authorization to speak publicly on the matter, said talks with Mr. Blinken would center on hostages and an impending Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Mr. Blinken last visited Israel in March, when he warned that its plans to invade Rafah , where more than a million displaced people are sheltering, would pose severe risks to civilians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with those plans, saying that such an operation is necessary to eliminate Hamas battalions in the city.

Still, the Biden administration has stuck by Israel as mediators have failed to broker even a temporary cease-fire in Gaza that would give Palestinians some respite and allow for the release of hostages abducted in the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel .

The United States has proposed a deal through Egyptian and Qatari intermediaries in which Hamas would release 40 of the most vulnerable hostages in exchange for a six-week truce and the release of hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. A senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters on Thursday on condition of anonymity under official ground rules put the blame solely on Hamas for blocking the deal.

The official said that while Israel had signaled it would accept those terms, the response from Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader hiding underground in Gaza, had been “totally nonconstructive.” Hamas has since signaled that it is not completely rejecting the deal and is willing to sit down again, the official said, adding that the United States and its partners would test that in coming days.

President Biden and the leaders of 17 other nations called on Hamas on Thursday to release all the hostages in a joint statement that appeared intended to send the message that the world is not entirely against Israel and that Hamas is the main impediment to ending the war.

Peter Baker contributed reporting from Washington.

— Patrick Kingsley reporting from Jerusalem

Israel fires into Lebanon after a deadly Hezbollah missile strike.

An Israeli man was killed in an anti-tank missile attack from Lebanon, the Israeli military said on Friday, the latest in a growing string of civilian casualties on both sides of Israel’s northern border as tit-for-tat strikes intensify with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah .

The Israeli military said in a statement that the man had been carrying out “infrastructure work” when two anti-tank missiles were fired late Thursday into the area of Har Dov in northern Israel, a disputed sliver of land where Israel, Lebanon and Syria meet. Also known as the Shebaa Farms, the area is claimed by Lebanon but occupied by Israel, and has long been a crucible for violence.

Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful regional proxy , described the overnight attack as an “ambush,” claiming that two vehicles had been destroyed in a combined missile, artillery and rocket assault on an Israeli military base in the area. The Israeli military statement did not say whether a base had been hit.

Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, identified the man killed as Sharif Suwayed, 35, and said that his truck had been hit while he was working to improve defenses at a military base, modifications that were being carried out at night to protect against Hezbollah attacks. The Israeli military was investigating, the broadcaster reported.

Israeli forces responded by striking Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon, among them a weapon storage facility and military compound, according to a military statement. Lebanese state media reported on Friday that multiple towns had been targeted by heavy Israeli bombardment, damaging dozens of houses. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, the heaviest between the sides in nearly two decades, has shown no sign of subsiding. Israeli strikes inside Lebanon have begun to creep deeper into the country’s interior, though the hostilities for now have been confined largely to areas along the Israeli-Lebanese border.

In Israel, 19 soldiers and civilians have been killed in the recent violence, which began after Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel in support of the deadly Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7.

More than 70 civilians have been killed in Lebanon, along with roughly 270 Hezbollah fighters, the group has said, a figure that exceeds its losses in the 2006 war with Israel .

Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defense minister, said this week that its strikes had eliminated half of Hezbollah’s commanders in southern Lebanon, although experts expressed skepticism about that claim . They also have cast doubt on whether targeted killings of commanders could achieve Israel’s goal of pushing Hezbollah farther from the border, reducing the threat of attacks and allowing the tens of thousands of Israeli civilians displaced by the fighting to return to their homes.

Patrick Kingsley contributed reporting from Jerusalem.

— Euan Ward Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon

A baby born in Gaza after her mother was killed in an Israeli strike dies less than a week later.

A baby who was delivered through an emergency cesarean section after her mother was killed in an Israeli strike died on Thursday, a relative said, less than a week after news of her birth brought a glimmer of hope to war-torn Gaza.

The baby, who was born prematurely after a strike in southern Gaza that also killed her father and sister, suffered respiratory problems, and doctors were unable to save her, said her uncle, Rami al-Sheikh.

“I buried her in her father’s grave,” he said in a phone interview on Friday.

The mother, Sabreen al-Sakani, was killed along with her husband, Shukri, and their 3-year-old daughter, Malak, when an Israeli strike hit their home in the city of Rafah shortly before midnight last Saturday. Rescue crews took the bodies to the Emirati Hospital in Rafah, where doctors performed a cesarean section on Ms. al-Sakani, who was 30 weeks pregnant.

The girls’ uncle said that Malak had wanted to name her little sister Rouh, the Arabic word for soul. The extended family decided instead to name her after her mother, Sabreen.

Sabreen weighed just three pounds at birth, said Dr. Mohammed Salama, head of the neonatal intensive care unit at Emirati Hospital. Her birth was captured on video by a journalist from the Reuters news agency, who filmed doctors providing artificial respiration to her after she emerged, pale and limp, from her mother.

Instead of a name, doctors initially wrote, “The baby of the martyr Sabreen al-Sakani” on a piece of tape across her chest.

“The baby was delivered into a tragic situation,” Dr. Salama told Reuters, adding, “Even if this baby survives, she was born an orphan.”

— Hiba Yazbek Reporting from Jerusalem

Drone attack kills 4 workers in an Iraqi gas field, but no one claims responsibility.

A drone attack on a large gas field in Iraq’s Kurdistan region killed four workers and plunged much of eastern Kurdistan into darkness because it relies on gas to fuel its electrical plants, according to a Kurdistan regional government spokesman.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. While Iranian-backed armed groups have bases in the area, there are many competing interests in Kurdistan, leaving it unclear whether the attacks are part of the larger regional fight between Iran and Israel, which has intensified during the war in Gaza.

The Kurdistan region’s president, Nechirvan Barzani, condemned the attack and called on the government in Baghdad to investigate. “These attacks endanger the peace and stability of the country,” Mr. Barzani said, adding, “The representatives of the Iraqi federal government must do their duty to prevent these attacks and find the perpetrators from any side and punish them according to the law.”

Iraq’s joint command in Baghdad issued a statement calling the attack “sabotage,” confirming that a drone was used. The statement said Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani had ordered an investigation.

Friday’s drone attack was the second so far this year on the Khor Mor field in Sulaymaniyah Province. The last one, in January, did not inflict casualties.

“Four Yemeni workers have been killed, and the field has been severely damaged, which will cause electricity shortages,” said Peshawa Hawramani, a spokesman for the Kurdistan regional government.

Almost a million people in Sulaymaniyah Province were left without power, along with thousands more in adjacent provinces. It took about 24 hours to restore electricity after the last attack, but because the damage was greater this time, Kurdish authorities said it could take longer. While hospitals and security services have large generators, many ordinary residents have access only to limited power from shared generators.

Claims of responsibility were never made for previous attacks on the gas field, which is operated by Dana Gas, based in the United Arab Emirates, and a related company, Crescent Petroleum.

While the drone attack could stem from the regional conflict between Iran and Israel, there are other tensions in the region — between internal Iraqi factions and between Baghdad and Kurdistan. There has been a multiyear effort by the Iraqi federal government in Baghdad and the courts to reduce the Kurdistan region’s control over its natural resources.

At the same time, there is tension between Iran and Iraq over any efforts by Iraq to expand domestic gas production. Iran sells about $4 billion of gas to Iraq each year because Iraq does not have enough gas to fuel its electricity plants. Kurdistan and the Iraqi government had been discussing expansion of the Khor Mor field.

Kamil Kakol contributed reporting from Sulaymaniyah Province, Iraq .

— Alissa J. Rubin Reporting from Baghdad

Rabbis are arrested near the Gaza-Israel border at a rally to highlight starvation.

Police arrest group of rabbis and activists near gaza, the israeli police arrested rabbis and peace activists near the border with gaza..

[singing] You can arrest us, but we’re going to walk slowly, our way towards the crossing.

Seven rabbis and peace activists were arrested on Friday near the border with Gaza after they tried to take food supplies into the territory, according to two participants and the campaign group that organized the effort.

The detainees were among a group of roughly 30 rabbis and activists from Israel and the United States who were stopped by police officers as they tried to reach the Erez crossing, a major transit point between Israel and northern Gaza.

Organized by Rabbis for Ceasefire, a peace movement based in the United States, the effort was intended to build support for a truce and to highlight rising reports of starvation in Gaza . A global authority on food security, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative, has predicted an imminent famine in northern Gaza, the area of the territory closest to Erez.

The protest was timed to coincide with the week of Passover , a Jewish festival that celebrates the biblical story of the liberation of Jews from slavery in ancient Egypt.

“We were making the point that Jewish liberation is bound up with Palestinian liberation, that we want freedom for all,” said Toba Spitzer, a rabbi from Boston who attended the protest but was not arrested.

The group had tried to drive into Gaza with a pickup truck carrying half a ton of rice and flour but was stopped roughly a third of a mile from the border, Rabbi Spitzer said. The effort was largely symbolic and the organizers expected it to fail given the restrictions along the border; the supplies will now be donated to needy Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Rabbi Spitzer said.

The Israeli police did not respond to requests for comment.

The author Ayelet Waldman of Berkeley, Calif., was among those arrested, her husband, the author Michael Chabon, said on Instagram .

There are widespread food shortages in Gaza. Israeli restrictions on where convoys can enter the strip, Israeli bombardment and widespread damage to roads, the collapse of Gazan agriculture, and a breakdown in law and order have all made it harder to distribute aid safely.

Aid groups and United Nations officials have accused Israel of systematically limiting aid delivery. Israel denies the assertion, blaming the shortages on logistical failures by aid groups, and has recently increased the number of trucks entering the strip.

Israeli officials say that the Erez crossing, which was primarily used for pedestrian traffic before the war, is difficult to use for aid delivery because it lacks the right infrastructure and was also badly damaged during the Hamas-led raid on Israel in October.

A majority of Jewish Israelis oppose the delivery of more aid to Gaza, according to a poll conducted in February by the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based research group.

Israeli protesters regularly gather at another crossing point farther south, trying to block aid convoys entering Gaza .

— Patrick Kingsley and Rawan Sheikh Ahmad Reporting from Jerusalem and from Haifa, Israel

The U.S. Army has begun work on a floating pier to move aid from ships into Gaza, the Pentagon says.

Army engineers on Thursday began construction of a floating pier and causeway for humanitarian aid off the coast of Gaza, which, when completed, could help relief workers deliver as many as two million meals a day for the enclave’s residents, Defense Department officials said.

The construction on the “initial stages of the temporary pier and causeway at sea” means that the project’s timing is in line with what Pentagon officials had predicted, Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, the Defense Department’s press secretary, said. The construction is meant to allow humanitarian aid to bypass Israeli restrictions on land convoys into the besieged strip.

General Ryder said that defense officials expected the project, ordered up by President Biden early last month, to be completed early next month. The facility is meant to include an offshore platform to transfer aid from ships, and a floating pier to bring the aid to shore.

Aid organizations have welcomed the plan, which will be an addition to the airdrops of humanitarian supplies that the U.S. military has been conducting over Gaza. But aid workers say, and defense officials have acknowledged, that the maritime project is not an adequate substitute for land convoys. Such aid convoys fell sharply when the war began more than six months ago and have only partly recovered .

Some U.S. military officials have also privately expressed security concerns about the project, and General Ryder said that the military was looking into a mortar attack on Wednesday that caused minimal damage in the area where some pier work is supposed to be done. However, he said, U.S. forces had not started moving anything into the area at the time of the mortar attacks.

The floating pier is being built alongside an Army ship off the Gaza coast. Army ships are large, lumbering vessels, so they have armed escorts, particularly as they get within range of Gaza’s coast, defense officials have said.

The United Nations says famine is likely to set in within Gaza by the end of May.

Aid workers have described bottlenecks for aid at border crossings because of lengthy inspections of trucks, limited crossing hours and protests by Israelis, and they have highlighted the difficulty of distributing aid inside Gaza. Israeli officials have denied that they are hampering the flow of aid, saying the United Nations and aid groups are responsible for any backlogs.

Senior Biden administration and military officials detailed a complex plan in a Pentagon call with reporters on Thursday afternoon, explaining how the pier and causeway are being put together, and how it is supposed to work. Army engineers are constructing the facility aboard Navy ships in the eastern Mediterranean. One official said that the “at-sea assembly of key pieces” of the pier began on Thursday.

Biden officials are insistent that the Pentagon can carry out aid deliveries through the floating pier without putting American boots on the ground in Gaza. Officials described a complicated shuttle system, through which aid would be loaded onto Navy ships in Cyprus and transported to a causeway — a floating platform — at sea.

The Pentagon’s military acronym for the project is J-Lots, for Joint Logistics Over the Shore.

The causeway at sea is different from the floating pier where the aid will be offloaded into Gaza. An engineering unit with the Israeli military will anchor the floating pier to the Gaza shore, a senior military official told reporters in the Pentagon call.

Shuttle boats run by aid organizations, the United Nations or other countries are then expected to transport the aid to the floating pier, where it is to be loaded onto trucks driven by “a third party,” the official said. He declined to identify the third party.

The official said that Israel was dedicating a brigade to provide security for the American troops and aid workers working on the pier.

The operation is expected to bring in enough aid for around 90 trucks a day, a number that will increase to 150 trucks a day when the system reaches full operating capacity, the official said.

— Helene Cooper Reporting from Washington

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