Photo By Troy Miller |
Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s Travel Branch consists of 14 individuals who take care of......read moreread more
Photo By Troy Miller | Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s Travel Branch consists of 14 individuals who take care of all the travel arrangements and government travel cards for the shipyard and its remote locations. see less
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In the grand theater of naval readiness, the spotlight often shines on the massive steel hulls in the dry docks of Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY). But behind the curtain, a small, dynamic team ensures the shipyard’s most critical asset—its people—can be anywhere in the world at a moment's notice. They are the choreographers of a global ballet, the mission control for every deployment, and the quiet force that propels the workforce. This is NNSY’s Travel Branch (Code 615).
This group of just 12 employees is the engine behind the shipyard’s movement, handling a staggering 300 travel actions a month on average. Their mission is to get shipyard travelers where they need to go, often supporting high-priority mission requirements, whether it’s to another naval activity or to a carrier out at sea. “We are the backbone to getting the travelers to where they need to work on these ships and make sure that the ships are getting out on time,” said Travel Branch Head Jennifer Perry.
The branch operates like a well-oiled machine, with each member playing a crucial part. It starts with the Non-Defense Travel System (DTS) Entry Agent (NDEA), who helps input orders into DTS. Then, the Approving Officials (AOs) step in, acting as the final gatekeepers who review every detail for compliance with the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) and verify funding.
“If the travel team does not give the green light and approve the orders before the traveler is supposed to depart, the traveler cannot leave because they will not have any flights, hotel rooms, rental cars, etc. when they reach their TDY location,” explained Perry.
Other specialists manage the travel card program, work to resolve any debt, and handle the administrative intricacies of DTS, ensuring every piece of the travel puzzle fits perfectly.
“Sometimes, the job is less about planning and more about crisis response,” said Perry. She recalled a high-stakes weekend last year when USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) was damaged from an at-sea collision. The call came in late, the need was urgent, and the clock was ticking. “We got the names at three o’clock on Friday of who needed passports and who was leaving on Saturday morning to go,” she said.
What followed was a flurry of activity, with the team working around the clock through a holiday weekend. “It’s a team effort, for sure,” Perry noted. “I would say most of the team worked the entire holiday weekend and emailing back and forth, on the phone with each other, requesting an NDEA to input changes so that an AO could go in and approve the orders to ensure everyone flying overseas was going to have hotels and/or rental cars when they arrived, as well as ensure they had a flight that would get them there in a timely fashion. I think that is much how this team overcomes all of their challenges. They work and communicate very well together and are willing to lend a helping hand to their teammates in a time of need.”
This dedication was put to the ultimate test recently during a perfect storm last fall. The end of the fiscal year collided with a government shutdown and the rollout of a brand-new accounting system, creating a massive backlog.
"I probably had hundreds of rejects coming out of DTS," Perry recalled.
Rather than sending the mountain of paperwork back to the travelers to fix, the Travel Branch took on the immense task themselves. "We have been working tirelessly, pushing orders back through instead of making our travelers go in and redo any of that work," Perry explained. By shouldering the administrative burden, they ensured the shipyard’s workforce could stay focused on their mission, a powerful testament to the team's commitment.
Faced with these pressures, the branch draws strength from its incredible bond. The word “family” comes up again and again. “I'm really proud to say I'm a member of this team,” Financial Management Analyst Phylisa Billings said. That feeling of family extends to the travelers they serve. She once took a call on a Saturday evening from a young man with COVID who had just been released from the hospital out of the area and had no way home. She dropped her personal plans to make all necessary travel arrangements to get him back to his family safely.
“The same way we don't leave our sailors behind, my mindset is the same way,” Billings explained. “Someone calls me, I don't care what I'm doing. I'm going to drop and do it right then and there because I would want someone to do it for me.”
For many shipyard employees, the face of the Travel Branch is the person behind the kiosk in Building 1500. Financial Technician Taquan Brickhouse, a Marine Corps veteran, sees his time there as more than just customer service. “I would call it a help desk,” he said. “My main goal is just to help everybody. Even if you just want to stop and have a conversation, I would do that.”
“We do consider ourselves a family, which is a big thing for me,” Brickhouse added. “We treat each other more like family than just coworkers.”
For travelers wanting to make the process smoother, the team has simple advice. “The best thing is put things in, in advance,” urged Billings. Last-minute requests, she explained, create a churn that makes it harder to find the most economical travel options.
Brickhouse stressed the importance of documentation. “Make sure you have every document, every receipt,” he said. “Even if you think you don't need it, just get it just in case.”
From emergency deployments to routine trips, the Travel Branch is the unseen force ensuring NNSY’s mission never stops for lack of a plane ticket or a hotel room, proving that even the most powerful fleet relies on the dedicated people who manage the journey.
For additional information, contact the Travel Branch at NNSTTravel@flankspeed.navy.mil, 757-967-6814, or visit the Travel Branch Kiosk, located in Bldg. 1500, First Floor, in the foyer, outside Room 106.
