(a) General policy. (1) Regulations on transportation of civilians vary according to whether:

(i) The civilians are news media representatives or not.

(ii) The travel is local or nonlocal (see paragraph (b) of this section).

(iii) The purpose of the travel is to get to a desired destination or is to observe the Navy at first hand.

(2) Authority for embarkation of individuals in naval vessels and military aircraft is vested in the Chief of Naval Operations by § 700.710 of this chapter. Nothing in this part shall be construed as limiting his authority in this regard.

(3) The following policy has been established by DOD for providing all types of Navy transportation to non-Navy civilians.

(i) Military transport facilities shall not be placed in a position of competition with U.S. commercial carriers.

(A) When embarkation of a newsman is necessary for him to obtain news material about a ship, aircraft, cargo or embarked personnel, or when he is invited to report on a matter of special interest to the Navy, it is not considered that the transportation furnished him is in competition with commercial transport.

(B) An exception is also made for short trips between an airport (or other transportation center) and the command. Cars and buses within the resources of the command may be used for meeting guests or taking them to make their travel connections.

(ii) When authorization is requested for travel which is of interest to or will affect more than one command or Service, the approving authority will coordinate the request with all other interested commands, Services and Agencies.

(iii) Travel in connection with any public affairs program arranged by the Navy jointly with another Federal Department or Agency or a foreign government will be authorized only by the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs, or those to whom he has delegated this authority. Navy commands desiring authorization of such travel will forward the request to the Chief of Information.

(iv) If a request for travel for nonlocal public affairs purposes is disapproved, sufficient reasons should be provided so that the action is clearly understood by the individual or group concerned.

(b) Definition of local v. nonlocal travel. (1) Local travel is travel within the immediate vicinity of the command concerned in connection with a public affairs program of local interest only. (For air travel within the continental U.S., about 150 miles or less is generally considered local.)

(2) Nonlocal travel is that conducted in connection with a public affairs program affecting more than one Service, geographic area or major command, usually of primary concern to higher authority.

(c) Transportation of news media representatives. (1) This section applies to media representatives who are embarked for the purpose of news gathering or of traveling to an area in order to cover a news event. It does not apply to:

(i) Correspondents when members of groups embarked as regular cruise guests of the Navy.

(ii) Casual trips by correspondents to ships in port or to shore stations in CONUS. Such visits may be authorized by officers in command or higher authority in accordance with instructions promulgated by the Chief of Naval Operations. Written orders are not required.

(2) Local travel. Commanding officers at all levels are authorized (under Defense Department policy) to approve local travel for public affairs purposes within the scope of the mission and responsibilities of their command, if:

(i) Public interest in the public affairs purpose involved is confined primarily to the vicinity of that command.

(ii) The travel is being provided for the benefit of local media and meets a naval public affairs objective.

(iii) Scheduled commercial air transportation is not readily available.

(iv) The aircraft to be used is a helicopter, or multiengine dual piloted aircraft, and is within the resources of the host command on a not-to-interfere basis. This provision does not apply to orientation flights.

(3) Nonlocal travel. (i) Requests for nonlocal travel will be submitted to the Chief of Information, who will forward them with his recommendations to the Chief of Naval Operations and/or the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), as appropriate.

(ii) When the proposed travel is for news coverage of a major emergency nature and the coverage will be impaired or delayed, to the serious detriment of the interests of the Department of Defense, if military transportation is not provided, requests for such travel will be submitted to the Chief of Information, who will forward the request—if approved—to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs). The most expeditious means (including telephone) will be used by commands requesting such emergency travel. Justification will include both the public affairs purpose and the necessity for military carriers.

(4) Travel between the U.S. and overseas area. (i) The Chief of Naval Operations may authorize military transportation for correspondents in unusual circumstances, upon recommendations of the Chief of Information and the Defense Department.

(ii) Requests for government transportation to cover specific assignments overseas should be made at least three weeks prior to the date required and should be addressed to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) via the Chief of Information or Unified Commander, as appropriate. The requests should include:

(A) A statement that the correspondent is a full-time employee, or has a specific assignment, and that the trip is for the purpose of news gathering.

(B) Appropriate date of entry into area, port of entry, method of travel, proposed duration of visit and travel termination date.

(C) Assurance that the correspondent will observe currency control regulations, and sponsoring agency will guarantee financial obligations incurred.

(5) Embarkation of male correspondents between ports within CONUS. (i) Male correspondents may be embarked in naval ships for passage between ports within the area of a single Fleet command for the purpose of news gathering at the discretion of the Sea Frontier Commander, Commandants of the Naval Districts, the Chief of naval Air Training, Fleet, Force and Type commanders and flag officers afloat who have been delegated authority to arrange directly with appropriate Fleet, Force and Type commanders for embarkation of civilians on a local cruise basis.

(ii) Invitational travel orders may be issued.

(6) Embarkation of female correspondents in naval vessels. (i) Privileges equal to those given male correspondents will be accorded female correspondents whenever practicable.

(ii) Female correspondents may not be embarked overnight in a naval ship without prior approval of the appropriate Fleet Commander-in-Chief. This authority may be delegated to the numbered Fleet Commanders.

(7) Travel in ships of the Military Sealift Command. Correspondents may be carried in ships of the Military Sealift Command on either a space-required or space-available basis when travel is in the best interests of the Navy or the Department of Defense.

(i) Space-available travel will be used when practicable. A nominal charge is made by the Military Sealift Command and must be borne by the correspondents.

(ii) Space-required travel may be authorized when sufficiently in the interest of the Navy, and the charge may be borne by the Navy.

(iii) In either case, determination of Navy interests will be made by the Chief of Information, guided by the transportation policy of the Chief of Naval Operations, whose approval of such embarkation is required.

(iv) Requests for such travel will be submitted to the Chief of Information, who will coordinate with the Chief of Naval Operations and/or the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), as appropriate.

(8) Point to point transportation within the continental United States in naval aircraft other than those operated by the Military Airlift Command.

(i) SECNAVINST 4630.2A contains guidance for travel in military aircraft other than those operated by the Military Airlift Command.

(ii) Naval activities desiring to arrange such transportation will address requests via the chain of command to the operational command of the lowest echelon which has been delegated authority to approve such requests.

(iii) Upon approval of such a request, the naval activity sponsoring the correspondent shall:

(A) Prepare travel orders.

(B) Ensure that any waiver forms, as may be required by governing directives, are executed.

(9) Embarkation of news media representatives of foreign citizenship:

(i) Requests from foreign news media representatives to cruise with units of the U.S. Navy are usually made to the nearest U.S. military installation known to the correspondent, and are often not made in the proper chain of command to the Fleet Commander unless authorized to effect arrangements for an underway cruise.

(A) if the request is received by a command which is not a subordinate of the Fleet Commander concerned, it will be forwarded to the U.S. Naval Attache assigned to the foreign newsman's country. The Attache will then forward the request to the appropriate Fleet Commander, with his recommendations and the result of a brief background check on the newsman and his employer.

(B) If the request is received by a subordinate of the appropriate Fleet Commander, it may be forwarded directly to the latter, but the U.S. Naval Attache in the newsman's country will be given the opportunity to comment on the proposed embarkation.

(ii) Naval commands should not introduce an embarked third-party (i.e., a foreign media representative) into a foreign country other than his own without first obtaining appropriate clearance from the country to be visited. Approval for entry should be forwarded via appropriate command channels to the cognizant U.S. Naval Attache.

(10) Security considerations. (i) No media representative known to be affiliated with a group advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government will be permitted aboard naval ships or stations.

(ii) If security review is directed, the reason will be made clear to the correspondent prior to embarkation. News media people refusing to agree to observe security regulations may have their privileges suspended. Failure to observe security regulations will be reported to CHINFO and interested commands.

(d) Transportation of other civilians. (1) Although groups normally provide their own transportation to Navy commands, Navy transportation may be authorized when:

(i) Commercial transport is not available.

(ii) A professional group visit has been solicited by the Navy, such as participants in the Naval Academy Information Program (“Blue and Gold”) or educators invited to an Aerospace Education Workshop.

(2) Requests for nonlocal transportation under the above circumstances will be made to the Chief of Naval Operations.

(3) Carrier-on-board-delivery (COD) flights and helicopters flights to ships are considered local transportation.

(4) When units or areas of a Unified Command are involved in the public affairs program in connection with which travel authorization is requested by a Navy command which is not a component of the Unified Command concerned, coordination will be effected by the host command, through command channels, via the Chief of Information, to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), who—as appropriate—will consult with the Unified Commander concerned.

(e) Special programs. (1) Cruises are discussed in Chapter 6, section 0604, para. 1 of the Navy Public Affairs Regulations.

(2) Embarkation of news media representatives, especially on operations and exercises, is discussed in Chapter 4, section 0405, paragraph 4 of the Navy Public Affairs Regulations.

(3) Other programs subject to special requirements or which have had exceptions authorized for them include:

(i) Naval Air Training Command Civilian Orientation Cruise Program, conducted by the Chief of Naval Air Training.

(ii) Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, conducted by the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs).

(iii) Orientation flights in government aircraft, conducted in accordance with OPNAVINST 37107H.

(iv) Space-available air transportation may be provided Navy League members if they are invited to accompany a flag officer attending a Navy League convention or regional meeting and if the trip is economically justifiable, based on military travel considerations and not community relations or public affairs reasons. Approval in each instance will be obtained in advance from the Chief of Naval Operations.

(v) Air transportation for the Naval Sea Cadet Corps of the Navy League.

(A) Flights must be in Navy multiengine, transport type craft.

(B) Point-to-point flights on a space-required basis are governed by an annual quota set by the Chief of Naval Operations. Space-available transportation is authorized and will not be charged against this quota if it will not result in delays of takeoffs or a change in the itinerary planned for the primary mission.

(C) Flights must not interfere with operational commitments or training or results in additional expense to the government.

(D) This transportation is not available to other youth programs, including others sponsored by the Navy League.

(f) Other instructions on transportation of non-Navy civilians. Details on policy, procedures, and the transportation of certain categories of people will be found in OPNAVINST 5720.2G and DOD Directive 4515.13.