[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 32, Volume 5]
[Revised as of July 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 32CFR705.36]

[Page 167-170]
 
                       TITLE 32--NATIONAL DEFENSE
 
                   CHAPTER VI--DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
 
PART 705_PUBLIC AFFAIRS REGULATIONS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 705.36  Government transportation of civilians for public affairs 
purposes.

    (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 Sec. 
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

[[Page 168]]

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

[[Page 169]]

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.

[[Page 170]]

    (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.

[41 FR 29101, July 15, 1976, as amended at 44 FR 6391, Feb. 1, 1979]