Marines have been failing to file travel claims when they return home after leaving the service.
A recent MARADMIN said that in Fiscal Year 2015, 70% of the Marines who separated or retired from the Corps failed to submit their final separation travel claim when they reached their home of selection or home of record.
The MARADMIN went on to say that "those Marines that did submit a separation travel claim received on average over $2,300 in travel entitlements."
What Travel Benefits Are Available When You Separate?
When you get out of the military you generally are paid to travel back to your home of record or where you entered the service from. If you retire from the service, you are paid to travel anywhere in the U.S. that you want to. If you travel overseas there are other rules, usually you are limited to what the government would pay you to relocate in the U.S., any other costs must be made up by you. Also, if you get kicked out you will get a smaller travel allowance, basically a one-way ticket home on the cheapest form of transportation.
You can travel however you want: car, train, bus, or plane. You will receive money for your family's travel and the military will ship your household goods at no expense to you, just like you are traveling from one duty station to another on a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move. The only difference between your travel entitlement on separation and what you would get from one duty station to another, is that you don't get Dislocation Allowance or Temporary Lodging Allowance when you get out.
If you are retiring from the military you have up to 1 year to travel at government expense and file a claim, all others have 180 days to travel and file a claim.
For details on PCS travel entitlements see out PCS Travel Overview page.
