About the Defense Travel Management Office

The Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) serves as the single focal point for commercial travel within Department of Defense. DTMO maintains central oversight for travel programs, travel policy and implementation, travel card program management, customer support and training, and functional oversight of the Defense Travel System (DTS).

DTMO partners across the government and private sector to maintain an in-depth perspective of the travel industry and determine the best practices and standards for Department of Defense (DoD) travel. DTMO considers guidance from the Defense Travel Governance Board and its Defense Travel Advisory Panel, two bodies that set strategic direction and manage change regarding DoD commercial travel requirements, including systems, software, policies, and/or procedures.

DTMO has embarked on a major initiative to transform the Defense Travel Enterprise. As our strategy and way ahead, this effort is designed to improve delivery of travel services, maximize policy understanding and compliance, improve cost-effectiveness across the Defense Travel Enterprise; provide a positive customer experience that drives high satisfaction, and maximize control and visibility into travel spend.

Within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, DTMO receives oversight from the Defense Human Resources Activity and is a directorate of the Defense Support Services Center.


 

Mission

Serve as the single focal point for commercial travel within the DoD to establish strategic direction, set policy, and centrally manage commercial travel programs

 

Vision

A Defense Travel Enterprise incorporating government and industry best practices to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of our customers

 

Goals
  • Maximize travel policy understanding
  • Optimize cost effective travel
  • Improve delivery of travel services

Guiding Principles
  • Customer Focused
  • Fair Compensation
  • Do No Harm
  • Duty of Care
  • Evidence-based Decision Making
  • Simple Travel Solutions

Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 5154.31, "Travel Programs" formally established DTMO in 2011 as the Department’s focal point to manage commercial travel programs and policy. The most recently reissued version supersedes travel policies contained in various memos, the DoD Financial Management Regulation, Defense Transportation Regulation, and other governing regulations. It contains six volumes with each volume formally outlining the procedures and regulations related to the management of a specific commercial travel program. The reissuance of DoDI 5154.31 reduces the quantity, diversity, and dispersion of commercial travel guidance by creating one location for policy information.

The Defense Travel Management Office regularly develops, publishes, and implements a five-year Business Operations Plan [PDF, 27 pages] that provides a framework for executing the strategies, programs, and projects related to managing the Defense Travel Enterprise. Six guiding principles provide a doctrinal framework that supports the Office's mission, vision and goals. This plan is reviewed annually.

In February 2006, the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) was established as the single focal point for commercial travel within DoD. Previously, several disparate, stove-piped programs governed travel policy, regulations and directives, with no "single face" for commercial travel within the Department. Leadership recognized the need to streamline and consolidate the various pieces of this multi-billion dollar travel enterprise. In response, the Deputy Secretary of Defense directed the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to consolidate, reorganize, and centrally manage commercial travel policy.

Through this consolidation, the Department is able to standardize management practices, leverage economies of scale, reduce administrative costs, and work towards a common set of goals. DTMO accomplishes this through central oversight for: travel programs, travel policy and implementation, travel card program management, customer support and training, and functional oversight of the Defense Travel System (DTS).