Certification of AF Form 938
For orders of 30 or more days, members should pre-certify their orders at the beginning of the tour to initiate bimonthly paychecks. In order to initiate payment, print your order, complete blocks 36 a-b, 37-39, 40 by hand, (report time and date) only and 41-44. Blocks 39 and 44 must be on or after the first day of duty (In most circumstances, IRs should not report for duty prior to the date specified in block 13 or be released prior to the date in block 14 of the AF Form 938) then scan, and send to the RPO in myFSS.
Upon completion of the duty, fill in the remainder of blanks 36 (c-d,) and 40, scan, and send to the RPO in myFSS to close out the order.
If the arrival/departure date(s) changes, a modification to your AF Form 938 is
required prior to payment. Member must contact their Detachment orders writer for a modification. If your orders are curtailed or extended and you don't send that into the RPO, your pay will either stop early (if extended) or keep going (curtailed).
IMPORTANT!!
With the transition to DTS, our orders writing process is different than it used to be. Because of this, some pre-certified and final certified orders are being kicked back. In order to clear up any confusion, use the following tips to ensure your pre-certifications and final certifications are done correctly. This is applicable for members who have travel required for the order.
AF938 orders are now being written to encompass travel within the inclusive dates stated in blocks 13 and 14 on your AF938 call to duty order. These official reporting and release dates are when you will be in active duty status and are considered constructively present for duty.
Some things to keep in mind when you’re pre-certifying your long tour orders:
- Although you will most likely travel on the date in block 13 and not physically arrive to your unit until the following day, ensure that block 40’s date matches block 13. Block 40 is essentially certifying that you are considered constructively present and in active duty status on the same date in block 13, even if traveling.
- Continue to record actual travel dates in blocks 36a-36d. Complete blocks 37, 38, and 41-44 accordingly.
- Ensure that signatures on pre-certified orders to initiate pay are dated on or after the reporting date in block 13. A signature dated prior to block 13 will not pass audit because you can’t certify that you’re present for duty prior to the date you’re ordered to be on duty. If signatures are dated prior to the reporting date in block 13 then your myFSS case will be returned to correct accordingly.
- Finally, if the mission required a deviation from the dates prescribed in blocks 13 and 14 on the AF938 orders, an orders modification, routed through OWC and certified in AROWS-R, is required prior to processing for pay.
Some things to keep in mind when doing your final certification of your long tour orders:
Closing out orders for pay when travel is required:
- Ensure that block 40’s dates match block 13 and block 14. Block 40 is essentially certifying that you are considered constructively present and in active duty status on the same dates in blocks 13 and 14, even if traveling inclusively within those dates.
- The second line of block 40 should match block 14 to officially report release from duty.
- Continue to record actual travel dates in blocks 36a-36d. Complete blocks 37, 38, and 41-44 accordingly.
- Ensure that signatures on final certified orders for pay are dated on or after the release date in block 14. A signature dated prior to block 14 will not pass audit because you can’t certify release from duty prior to the date you’re ordered to be on duty. If signatures are dated prior to the release date in block 14 then your myFSS case will be returned to correct accordingly.
- Finally, if the mission required a deviation from the dates prescribed in blocks 13 and 14 on the AF938 orders, an orders modification, routed through OWC (via myFSS) and certified in AROWS-R, is required prior to processing for pay.