SPACE AVAILABLE TRAVEL PRIVILEGE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR NON-COMMAND SPONSORED DEPENDENTS**

1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO INFORM YOU OF APPROVAL OF SPACE AVAILABLE (S/A) TRAVEL PRIVILEGES, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, FOR NON-COMMAND SPONSORED DEPENDENTS.

2. NON-COMMAND SPONSORED DEPENDENTS OF ACTIVE DUTY MEMBERS SERVING UNACCOMPANIED PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS) OVERSEAS TOURS MAY NOW TRAVEL S/A TO AND FROM THE MEMBER'S APPROVED OVERSEAS TOUR LOCATION, AS APPROVED BY THE COMMANDER OF THE COMBATANT COMMAND CONCERNED.

3. COMBATANT COMMANDERS ARE IN THE BEST POSITION TO KNOW THE CAPABILITIES OF SUPPORT SERVICES AT UNACCOMPANIED LOCATIONS WITHIN THEIR AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (AOR). COMBATANT COMMANDERS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING DECISIONS CONCERNING THEIR AOR PARTICIPATION IN THIS S/A TRAVEL INITIATIVE,
LENGTH OF STAY, LIMITS ON NUMBER OF TRIPS ALLOWED, AND ANY OTHER STIPULATIONS DEEMED NECESSARY FOR PROPER IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS S/A TRAVEL INTO THEIR AOR.

4. THE KOREAN THEATER AND DIEGO GARCIA ARE NONPARTICIPANTS AND WILL NOT OFFER THIS S/A TRAVEL PRIVILEGE INTO THEIR AOR. REQUEST USTRANSCOM TCJ4-LTP BE NOTIFIED OF ANY COMBATANT COMMAND
ADDITION OR DELETION TO APPROVED OVERSEAS TOUR LOCATIONS TO ENSURE AERIAL PORT/TERMINAL PERSONNEL ARE INFORMED AND CAN PROPERLY IMPLEMENT AOR POLICY.

5. NON-COMMAND SPONSORED DEPENDENTS WILL TRAVEL CATEGORY III ACCOMPANIED, CATEGORY V UNACCOMPANIED. NOTE: DEPENDENT RESTRICTIONS ON CONUS TO CONUS S/A TRAVEL APPLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH DOD 4515.13-R (AIR TRANSPORTATION ELIGIBILITY), CHAPTER 6.

6. THE ACTIVE DUTY MEMBER MUST OBTAIN PRIOR WRITTEN APPROVAL FOR NON-COMMAND SPONSORED DEPENDENT TRAVEL FROM THE INSTALLATION COMMANDER CONCERNED, OR THEIR DESIGNEE (BUT NOT LOWER THAN THE UNIT COMMANDER). COMMANDERS SHALL CONSIDER SAFETY AND SECURITY CONCERNS, AS WELL AS SUPPORT STRUCTURE LIMITATIONS, AT APPROVED OVERSEAS TOUR LOCATIONS WHEN CONSIDERING TRAVEL APPROVAL. DEPENDENTS MUST PRESENT A COPY OF THE APPROVAL LETTER, SIGNED BY THE ACTIVE DUTY MEMBER'S UNIT COMMANDER, TO THE SERVICING AIR TERMINAL. INCLUDE IN THE APPROVAL LETTER, AT A MINIMUM, THE SPONSOR'S NAME/RANK, APPROVED UNACCOMPANIED PCS TOUR LOCATION, SPONSOR'S CONTACT INFORMATION, DEPENDENT NAME(S) AND CURRENT RESIDENCE INFORMATION, THE LENGTH OF STAY AUTHORIZED, AND THE TIMEFRAME THAT THE APPROVAL LETTER IS VALID FOR. IN ADDITION TO REQUIRED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS (E.G., PASSPORT, VISA, ETC.), SPONSORS MUST ENSURE DEPENDENTS HAVE SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO PAY FOR COMMERCIAL TRANSPORTATION IF S/A TRANSPORTATION BECOMES UNAVAILABLE. DEPENDENTS UNDER AGE 18 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ELIGIBLE PARENT OR GUARDIAN.

7. THIS IS AN OADUSD(TP), JOINT STAFF/J4, USTRANSCOM TCJ4-D, HQ AMC/DO, COORDINATED MESSAGE. THIS S/A PRIVILEGE WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT REVISION OF DOD 4515.13-R; HOWEVER, IT IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. 

**Exception to policy for space available travel upgrade for family members of deployed USEUCOM service members**

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff approved the Commander in Chief, Europe's request to allow U.S. European Command command-sponsored family members, whose military sponsors are participating in a deployment schedule for at least 120 days, upgraded space available travel from Category V to Category III. USCINCEUR message, 011602 Dec 98 provides implementation instructions for this travel and is retransmitted.

The purpose of this message is to implement CJCS policy for space available travel upgrade for family members of deployed USEUCOM Service members.

Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff memorandum, dated September 11, 1998, to the Commander in Chief, Europe, provides an exception to the space available travel policy outlined in DoD directive 4515.13R, "Air Transportation Eligibility." Space available category of all USEUCOM Command-sponsored family members whose military sponsor is participating in a deployment scheduled for at least one hundred and twenty (120) days or more may now be upgraded from category V to III subject to certain conditions.

Family members are authorized one round trip when traveling without their sponsor in category III status, per 120-day or more deployment of the sponsor. This exception applies only to family members of USEUCOM service members and is applicable only when family members are traveling within USEUCOM or to and from CONUS to the USEUCOM area of responsibility. All travel will be on a noninterference (nonreimbursable) basis.

In addition to those requirements and procedures outlined in DoD 4515.13R, Chapter 6, family members must have in their possession a memorandum from the sponsor's unit commander or rear detachment commander containing the following information: sponsor's name, SSN, date assigned to unit, name of deployment, effective date of employment and the statement: "military member will be deployed 120 days or more and that the family member understands this is a one time entitlement per 120 day or more deployment." Have the family member sign and date.

The memorandum must be presented at the time of sign up (in person, through mail, fax transmission, or courier) and must be in the possession of the family member for presentation at the AMC passenger activity.

Family members are eligible for this entitlement effective the first day of the deployment as indicated on the members deployment order, and will remain on the space available list for 10 days, at which time they will be automatically removed. Family members removed from the list may sign-up again with a new date and time of sign-up. Family members may not exercise the Category III entitlement after the return of the deployed member. The only exception is if the family member is on the return portion of a trip where a Category III entitlement was used during the absence of the service member.

EUCOM components are to ensure commanders of deployed EUCOM personnel establish internal procedures to monitor and protect the integrity of this entitlement.

Travel can only be within the EUCOM area of responsibility and from/to EUCOM and the Continental United States. Travel cannot be to another theater, such as to the Pacific or South Commands areas of responsibility, even if there are direct flights from Europe to these theaters (for example, RAF Mildenall to Elmendorf AFB).

To Department of Defense travelers. HQ AMC point of contact is Master Sergeant Dan Givens, 618-256-4592 or DSN 576-4592, e-mail: daniel.givens@scott.af.mil .