CTO: New digs, same mission

Published Dec. 23, 2009
By Brandice J. Armstrong
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- If it concerns official government travel, the Commercial Travel Office is on it.

The seven staffers ensure Tinker gets where it's going. They serve personnel, those with official travel orders and dependents. They recently overcame a big challenge, performing the mission while relocating from Bldg. 1 to Bldg. 469. An official ribbon cutting ceremony in the new facility will be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 14.

"Relocation of the CTO was a quality of life initiative both for the CTO team and their customers," said Col. Herbert Wesselman, 72nd Mission Support Group commander. "The new facility provides a bright, open-air working environment, enabling the team to effectively handle the diverse needs of customers, whether they walk-in, phone-in or book travel through the Defense Travel System. It is a huge improvement over the previous walled cubicle environment they operated out of in Bldg. 1 for decades."

The CTO, a unit within the 72nd Logistics Readiness Squadron, is made up of four government employees and three Alamo Travel Group contractors. Together, they book commercial airline reservations, issue tickets, book hotel stays and rental-car reservations. Additionally, government employees also arrange Air Mobility Command-contracted flights, aircraft that have been arranged specifically to transport a group of people. AMC-contracted flights are typically scheduled for deploying members and personnel who have received permanent change of station orders for international locations.

The CTO will arrange accommodations for PCSs, temporary duties, deployments, emergency leaves and human remains.

In the past 12 months, the CTO purchased an excess of 16,500 tickets, valuing more than $9.7 million, not including cancelations, said Marsha Whitmire, CTO Passenger Movement Element chief.

Open from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, office personnel also ensure someone is on-call, should an emergency occur.

To make reservations, the staff primarily relies on official government fares that are accessed through an airline computer system, Worldspan. And whenever possible, they utilize the U.S. General Services Administration's City Pair fare program. The program allows travelers to fly specific city-to-city routes for a considerably discounted price. There are 5,000 "city pairs" within the contracted program.

In addition to abiding by regulations, CTO staffers have to be flexible and accommodate schedule changes and other challenges.

"Arrangements change," Ms. Whitmire said. "Ninety-eight percent of the travelers that go TDY have flight changes whether it's mission or personal."

Other considerations CTO staffers have to beware are commercial airlines that will not allow Airmen to transport weapons for their deployments; finding aircraft large enough to carry a coffin and determining if a Blue Bark shipment needs to be transported to a Dallas or Tulsa airport if Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport cannot accommodate a coffin.

"We're here to provide the service they need to perform their mission," Ms. Whitmire said.

Staffers are also often responsible for determining how pets reach their owners destinations. Even though the government doesn't fund these costs, CTO personnel will book the reservations dependent upon availability.

When the personnel aren't working travel issues, they're often resolving matters caused by the Defense Travel System, an online program that allows travelers to book their accommodations without the assistance of CTO staffers. While the program can be an effective tool, Ms. Whitmire said, oftentimes users don't understand its logistics and will want help deciphering problems.

And now, staffers are solving issues in their new digs.

After many years in Bldg. 1, Door 7, the CTO recently moved to the southwest corner of Bldg. 469 next to the San Antonio Lighthouse store. To prepare for the move, the CTO was closed Nov. 20 through Nov. 25.

"It's bigger, roomier and lighter in here," Ms. Whitmire said. "The travel office had been in Bldg. 1 for 29 to 30 years and renovations had been at a minimal during that time. It was just not inviting to the customers. I think everyone likes it here and we're excited to be here."