Inter Deployment Readiness Cycle (IDRC)

I was a Second Class Petty Officer and a newly qualified Flight Engineer. The Commanding Officer (CO) of the squadron just fleeted up from Executive Officer (XO), who was a Naval Flight Officer (NFO). The squadron had been back from deployment for a couple months out of the 12 month Inter Deployment Readiness Cycle (IDRC). I was approached by the Operations Department flight schedule writer, when he informed me that they were putting together a crew and needed 2 Flight Engineers for a cross-country detachment to Moffet, California (a good deal trip). After being volun-told, we discovered the good deal trip was for the CO to visit the wine country. Upon our return, we attempted to file our travel claims only to find out that we were not