Chief of Naval Personnel, Vice Admiral Robert Burke toured the Navy's new Travel Processing Center (TPC) aboard Naval Support Activity Mid-South March 27.

The tour was part of a familiarization of the Navy's new travel processing center that began operations in August 2016, showcasing the capabilities and prospective impact on Sailors of a new, more effective travel claim process. Since opening, change of duty station travel claims are processed 10 days faster at the center as compared to a local Personnel Support Detachment (PSD).

"The Travel Processing Center is one of our forward thinking initiatives to update our personnel system," said Burke. "Just like our ships and weapons systems, we are changing how our personnel system works, streamlining our methods to better serve the fleet and in turn, better serve the Sailor."

The TPC is part of the Sailor 2025 initiative to allow Sailors around the globe to have faster, direct access to their administrative needs. The facility aims to be more effective by accelerating the process and improving claim accuracy by removing the PSD link and allowing the Sailor's Command Pay and Pass Administrator (CPPA) to talk directly to the TPC. By 2018 at full manning, the facility will process 140,000 claims annually.

"Our biggest concept with our TPC is standardization," said Eric A. Brown, production control manager at the TPC. "What we're doing here is standardizing the entire process for everyone. Now Sailors will know exactly what they need to do, and my team will know exactly what everyone needs. All in all, this will allow everything to be done in a much more timely fashion."

Announced in October, NAVADMIN 235/16 kicked off actions that improve training for pay and personnel professionals, increase military personnel assigned to PSDs in the continental U.S., improve self-service capabilities, and implement organizational changes that will create more opportunities for civilian employees.

To date, changes have already been made to improve PSD service. These include overhauling the Command Pass Coordinator position, now renamed the Command Pay and Personnel Administrator. All Navy commands will have at least one CPPA to ensure accountability, auditability, and full engagement with local PSDs. Monthly CPPA engagements ashore and afloat will identify resources, provide training and guidance, clarify specific pay and personnel topics and presents the opportunity to address local issues.

For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel and Sailor 2025 updates, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/cnp/.


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For more news from Navy Personnel Command, visit www.navy.mil/.