The two halves of per diem
On TDY orders your per diem has two components: lodging (reimbursed up to a published cap, receipts required) and M&IE — meals and incidental expenses (a flat daily amount, no receipts needed). This guide is about the lodging half.
Every duty location has a published government lodging rate. Find yours with the official DTMO rate lookup. You're reimbursed for what you actually spend on lodging, up to that cap.
On-base, non-A, and off-base lodging
Policy generally sends you to government quarters first. When on-base lodging is full, you receive a non-availability (non-A) confirmation authorizing commercial lodging — a hotel, or a crashpad. At high-tempo training bases, non-A status is routine; always keep your non-A number with your travel documents. Your orders and your unit's travel guidance are the final word — when in doubt, ask before you book.
How a crashpad turns that into $0 out of pocket
- Crashpad pricing is set at or below the local government lodging rate.
- You pay for the stay and receive itemized receipts — dates, nightly rate, taxes/fees broken out.
- You attach the receipts to your DTS voucher at trip end (or SPPs for long stays).
- Reimbursement covers the cost — so a typical TDY nets out to zero lodging cost, in a whole home instead of a hotel room.
The mistakes that get vouchers kicked back
- No itemized receipt. A credit-card statement isn't enough — you need a lodging receipt with dates and rates. (Every Base Crashpads stay comes with one.)
- Booking above the cap without authorization. Anything over the lodging rate needs advance approval — otherwise the difference is on you.
- Losing the non-A confirmation. If on-base quarters were full, keep the proof.
- Waiting until the last day to file. File promptly; long TDYs can file scheduled partial payments every 30 days.
Long-course TDYs (the crashpad sweet spot)
Multi-week and multi-month courses — B-Course, PIT, RPA training, C-130 FTU, tech school follow-ons — are where crashpads shine. You get a monthly-style home at a nightly-documented rate, receipts formatted for DTS, and lease terms that flex when the syllabus slips. Read how our process works or jump straight to your base's page.
This guide is general information, not official travel policy. The Joint Travel Regulations, your orders, and your finance office are always the final authority.