remember the thread about the media?
This is a perfect example. They've picked out ONLY the details that make the DOD look bad and left out the real facts. The Government Travel card is issued to everyone that is a frequent traveler. In fact, you're required to get it because the gov't. gets back that one or two percent like whoever sponsors any card does. You're supposed to use the thing for ALL travel related expenses: lodging, rental cars, airline tickets if you make your own gov't travel arrangements etc. You're ONLY allowed to use it while on official business and only for travel related expenses. Yes, I know, the examples they showed on the news don't fit. Neither do the casino chips and 900 calls some of the people in my unit used it for when I was the program manager (their cards were instantly cancelled by me when I found out and they were written up).
Now, the other side of the story. You have 2 choices for the card. 1. You can get a "restricted" card with very low limits with only your commands endorsement. Pretty useless. Or 2, you can give BofA permission to do a credit history on you and get basically a regular card (subject to all the limitations mentioned above). In either case, YOU are responsible for the debt. The gov't doesn't wind up paying the bills except by direct depositing your travel claim into your card account. If you don't pay, the card gets cancelled, they report you to the credit bureau and they take the bill right out of your pay. Sure it costs BofA money to do all this and float the bill until you pay up, but they do get their money eventually in most cases.
Most folks use the card properly but, as usual, the media chose to focus on just the sensationalist stories to sell ads. More proof that they're, as a profession, a bunch of moronic attention grabbing boobs.
If I thought NBC would air it, I'd write them a nasty letter asking why they didn't air the rest of the story.
Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
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... ... ... ..... How about, just for the women?
