Action Line - #80401 - PCS billeting

  • Published
  • By Anonymous
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint:

I know several people who have PCS'd since I have arrived at Incirlik. Some were told they get 3 days prior to PCS for billeting, while others with larger families have been told they get 30 days.

What is the policy concerning billeting for PCSing? It seems that everyone should be authorized the same number of days in billeting for PCSing no matter what size the family (whether 2 or more). This policy of smaller families getting only 3 authorized days and larger families getting more seems unfair. Smaller families have the same needs as a larger family, as far as certain creature comforts go. Every base I have been stationed at in the past has a policy of everyone being authorized the same number of days for billeting for PCSing. Why wouldn't all families have the same benefits for billeting?

Thank you for your time in this matter.

Response:

You are absolutely correct, everyone should be authorized the same number of days in billeting when they PCS. Our goal is to balance between giving individuals PCSing sufficient time in lodging to meet their needs while ensuring that the mission is not negatively affected. The number of people here TDY or on a deployment makes that a challenge, as lodging averages more than 100 percent occupancy every night (meaning that individuals are often doubled up in the rooms).

Our PCS lodging policy allows up to three days Temporary Lodging Allowance for departing personnel, regardless of family size. There are, however, cases when we authorize additional TLA days. An example would be during periods of heavy housing construction/renovations and heavy personnel turnover. In this case, the additional TLA helps make units available sooner for incoming families. With the housing construction currently going on around the base and limited availability of three- and four-bedroom houses, this exception occasionally comes into play and I would suggest that was the case in the examples you cited above. As we finish construction in Eagle and parts of Phantom housing areas we should experience fewer of these exceptions.

Again, our goal is to treat all families with respect to TLA authorizations while balancing between mission requirements and meeting the needs of the community. Thanks again for giving me the chance to clear up any possible confusion.