Travel by Coast Guard Officials, Their Wives, and Air Force Officers

Concerns were expressed about travel throughout the Pacific in mid-August 1977 by high-ranking Coast Guard officials, some of whom were accompanied by their wives. Travel regulations state that written orders by competent authority are required for official travel and that travel may be authorized for spouses only under certain limited circumstances. Coast Guard District and Area Commanders made a total of 74 trips aboard Coast Guard aircraft in 1977, and their spouses accompanied them on 24 trips. For only 6 of the 24 trips were spouse's travel authorizations approved at a higher level. Although the trip in question was aboard a government plane and it could be claimed that the presence of guests and spouses did not add to the cost, the possibility of having spouses accompany a trip at little extra cost could influence the decision as to whether the trip should be made. The authority for approving spouse travel should be retained by the head of an agency or the deputy. A review of allegations of illegal travel by high-ranking Air Force officers indicated that some travel did take place without the proper documentation as required by Military Airlift Command regulations.