Transition to the Defense Table of Official Distances (DTOD)

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Transition to the Defense Table of Official Distances (DTOD)

AGENCY: Military Traffic Management Command, DOD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC), on behalf of

the Department of Defense (DOD), intends to utilize a standard

integrated mileage guide in DOD freight, household goods (HHG), travel,

and finance programs. The DTOD will replace existing distance

calculation products used within the DOD such as Rand McNally TDM

Mileagemaker System, Household Goods Carriers' Mileage Guide, and the

DOD Official Table of Distances and will become the DOD standard source

for highway mileages. The DTOD will consist of a modified Commercial

off the Shelf (COTS) product and full operating capability is projected

for October 1998. Notice of the DTOD product specifications and

transition plan for the freight and household goods program will be

published for public comment at a later time.

DATES: Initial operating capability for the three target DOD programs

is estimated to be: Travel--Jun 98; Household Goods--Jun 98; Freight--

Aug 98.

ADDRESSES: Headquarters, Military Traffic Management Command, ATTN:

MTIM-I, Room 332A, 5611 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-5050.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Ethel J. Anderson (703) 681-7793

or Ms. Amy R. Hopfe (703) 681-5702.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Currently, several sources for distance

information are being used within DOD to support various functional

areas, such as travel, travel entitlement reimbursement, freight, and

personal property movements. Moreover, separate products are used to

calculate overseas distances. The result is a variance in mileage

computations produced by different products and a high cost of

licensing and maintaining multiple mileage sources.

Until 1996, DOD was required by law to maintain an official mileage

table, known as the Official Table of Distances, to use for payment of

travel and transportation allowances. The FY96 Defense Authorization

Act deleted this requirement, thus providing the opportunity to use a

commercial mileage product to support travel mileage distance.

In October 1996, the DOD Comptroller tasked the U.S. Transportation

Command (USTRANSCOM) to identify and implement a single source for

distance information in support of travel, freight, and personal

property movements for the Continental United States (CONUS) and

Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS). USTRANSCOM tasked the

Military Traffic Management Command to lead the effort.

The DTOD integration contractor, Science Applications International

Corporation (SAIC), is supporting the identification, modification,

installation and testing of the Commercial off the Shelf (COTS)

product. SAIC has selected ALK Associates, Inc., as the source of the

distance calculation data and software for DTOD.

The transition to a single standard DTOD will require changes to

existing MTMC rules publications and rate solicitations. Since this

action is considered to be a significant procurement policy change

under 41 U.S.C. 418b, another public notice will be published providing

the public an opportunity to comment on the specific product, its

capabilities, and DOD's plan to introduce the product to ongoing

acquisition activities. Details relating to interface with industry

providers and trade associations will be provided at that time. It is

anticipated that transition to DTOD will have no significant impact on

small businesses since those businesses currently use one or more

distance calculation sources of a similar nature. Because specific

policy and the related impact is yet to be fully developed, public

comment on this notice is not being requested at this time. A 60-day

public notice period will be provided for in forthcoming notices that

describe implementation plans, requirements, and responsibilities.

Mary V. Yonts,

Alternate Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 97-29699 Filed 11-10-97; 8:45 am]

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