Defense Travel System is here! Published April 11, 2012 By Staff Sgt. Stephen Collier 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Wing members will begin using a new system to make travel arrangements and file vouchers for some of their travel needs. The Defense Travel System, already in use by Active Duty, will provide Reservists with a new way of making their travel arrangements for flights, rental cars and lodging. Commonly known as DTS, the system will also give Reserve members a more efficient way to file their travel vouchers. The DTS system should be integrated fully into the majority of Reserve travel by the end of September. Dale Mock, an Air Force Reserve Command DTS team member and financial management specialist, said DTS is restrictive right now, but "will get better." "Moving to DTS is a cost savings for both the Air Force and the Department of Defense because the cost of doing our travel arrangements and vouchers in DTS is less," Mock said. "DTS also cuts down on manpower. The cost savings is the biggest driver for going to DTS." Reservists will also reap the benefits of faster payout of travel vouchers. "The selling point is that a Reservist will get paid for his or her travel within 72 hours." To assist Reservists with DTS, order specialists within the wing will be trained as Organization Defense Travel Administrators. These ODTAs will be able to assist wing members with navigating the DTS system, booking travel arrangements and filing travel vouchers. Mock said the ODTAs will be the "help desk for DTS in your organization." While Reservists can manage travel arrangements and file their vouchers through DTS, they will still be required to have their orders generated in the Air Force Reserve Order Writing System. When orders are created in AROWS, the system is set up to automatically link with DTS if those orders qualify for the system. After registering and setting up an account in DTS, Reservists will receive an automatically-generated e-mail indicating their orders are awaiting their attention in DTS. The Defense Travel System will then allow Reservists to book their flights, make rental car reservations and file a travel voucher. However, there are certain types of orders that DTS will not be able to process. They include: - Mileage-only orders - Dual status orders, affecting Air Reserve Technicians who may need to convert statuses during temporary duty - Orders beyond 30 days - Orders with inactive duty training in conjunction - Orders that conflict with underlying temporary duty or changing orders status - Back-to-back orders Along with the more personalized control Reservists will have in making their travel arrangements, Mock stressed the increased responsibility members would now have. "I can't emphasize enough that along with more unit control comes more personal responsibility on the member's part," Mock said. "What I try to get across to people is this: Change is inevitable. It's going to happen. While it may be a little more time consuming for you in the beginning, it's going to make all our lives easier in the long run." Members can access the Defense Travel System on a CAC enabled computer at www.defensetravel.osd.mil.