DoD stops concurrent family travel to Minot AFB Published Sept. 21, 2011 By Debbie Gildea U.S. Air Force Office of Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) has designated Minot Air Force Base, N.D., a non-concurrent travel application area due to a continuing shortage of off-base housing, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced. "Airmen who were authorized before Sept. 12 to move with their families may still proceed to Minot," said Bill Warner, AFPC chief of assignment programs and procedures. "All others must follow the new travel restrictions." The situation is complicated, Warner explained, because Minot is still under the stop movement order established. Minot was already experiencing off base housing shortages, but when the heavy flooding occurred it June, this further exacerbated the housing shortage. The stop movement order does not impact technical training graduates and new accessions that do not have dependent family members. They are still authorized to proceed to Minot. All others must get authorization before they proceed. Authorization is now being provided, case-by-case, via email from the Minot military personnel section to each member's servicing personnel section. Those messages will also provide the concurrent travel decision, when travel is being delayed, and the anticipated length of the delay. The length of delay for family member travel, either more or less than 20 weeks, will determine what options are available to Airmen concerning relocation of their families. Options will also vary depending on whether an Airman is moving from a stateside base or from an overseas location. "If family travel is delayed for less than 20 weeks, family members must stay at the current location until their travel is approved," Warner said in reference to members moving from a stateside base. "But members whose families are delayed for more than 20 weeks have a couple of options. Families can either stay at their current location or relocate to a designated location at government expense." Overseas returnees who are not approved for concurrent travel have two options, regardless of the length of their travel delay. Families can stay at the overseas location or they can relocate to a designated location at government expense. Airmen who want to have their families stay in an overseas location must apply and receive approval under Dependents Remaining Overseas program. Not all requests will be approved since decisions are based on status of forces agreements in each country. Whatever their situation, family travel information will be spelled out, so Airmen must check their travel orders to ensure their situation is identified. Also, regardless of family travel status, once Airmen are authorized to proceed to Minot, they must meet their established reporting dates, said Warner. Those who proceed without their family members will live on base in unaccompanied quarters until they are able to secure housing on or off base. At that point, the Minot military personnel section will amend their orders to allow families members to travel. "Airmen must not move their families to Minot without authorization," Warner stressed. "Once they are in place and have secured housing, they must wait until their orders are amended to move their families. Otherwise, they may lose government travel entitlements." For more information about permanent change of station to Minot, Airmen should contact their current personnel section. For information about other personnel issues, visit the Air Force Personnel Services website at https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil.