TOP STORY>>GTC shapes up fitness

By Senior Airman Kaylee Clark
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Government travel cards are used to help Airmen conveniently move from place to place, whether they are doing a permanent change of station, a TDY move or deploying. The only responsibility of the Airman is to pay the card back in a timely manner.

Not paying the GTC on time can eventually negatively affect your credit, said 2nd Lt. Nathaniel Manning, financial analysis flight. It can also negatively affect your squadron, he said.

Rebates are given once a quarter, said Manning. When the base receives them, it is used to improve the quality of life for the Airmen.

Total rebate this fiscal year is more than $41,000. Last quarter the base received $10,000, and the base is going to use it to fund the workout equipment at the Warfit Pavilion. The pavilion gives Airmen an alternate workout location other than the gym.

“Usually by the end of the quarter the base has paid off 99 percent of its bill that it owes Citibank,” said Manning. “However, it is a struggle to get to that point. And though 1 percent seems like a small and insignificant number, it only takes one person to not pay off their card to make the base miss the goal and not receive the rebate.”

Rebates are not always a guarantee. Rebates are awarded once a quarter only if the goal is met in all three quarters.

If the goal is not met, the base does not receive rebates for that quarter. It has happened before and the loss of rebate has ranged from around $10,000 to $20,000, averaging a loss of about $15,000 just from a small percentage of late payers, said Manning.

The goal is to have 98 percent of the total money spent on GTC’s paid off in each three months, said Manning.

The only time that Little Rock Air Force Base missed out on the rebate in the program’s three year history was in August 2012.

“Start early, follow up on your vouchers, coordinate with your APC’s and supervisor, very often it is unknown residual balances that cause an Airmen to fall under the 1 percent.”

Manning said, the bottom line is when Airmen pay the GTC on time the base reaps the benefits.

“This is the money that the Airmen earn themselves by paying off their credit cards, so the harder they work, the more money they will see come back to their base for their goals and what they want to see happen,” said Manning.