How are travel orders prepared for Expert Witnesses and Non-DoD Civilian witnesses?

• A. The paralegal creates the DTS profile; travel orders are approved by finance.
• B. Travel orders are created in DTS by the witness and approved by finance.
• C. The paralegal needs the witness's first name, DOB, SSN, bank account info, and phone number; the case paralegal creates their DTS profile; travel orders are approved by finance.
• D. The witness must supply only their name and travel dates, with no financial data.

Answer: (C)

Travel orders for Expert Witnesses and Non-DoD Civilian witnesses flow through the Defense Travel System (DTS) with a clear role for the paralegal in handling setup and approvals. The paralegal first gathers essential information from the witness—full name, date of birth, Social Security Number, bank account information for reimbursements, and a contact phone number. With this data, the case paralegal creates or updates the witness’s DTS profile so the system has accurate identity, payment details, and contact information. Once the profile is in place, travel orders are routed for approval by the finance office to authorize funding and ensure compliance with travel policies. This approach ensures proper authorization, accurate reimbursements, and safeguarding of sensitive data.