Entitlement to Per Diem for Temporary Duty Overseas

A decision was requested regarding the entitlement of three civilian employees and three enlisted military members to per diem and rental car expenses incident to temporary duty travel abroad. An agency policy which required that civilian employees use government quarters, if available, when on temporary duty overseas was valid only if the use of such quarters was essential to the mission. Only enlisted personnel quarters were available in which officer-grade civilians were not required to stay, and government messing facilities were not fully available. Since the agency failed to inform employees of the need to occupy such quarters as essential to the mission in an unequivocal manner, full per diem and reimbursement for the rental car may be allowed. Although the entire team moved to commercial quarters, the three enlisted military members were not entitled to full per diem since mess and quarters were available unless the temporary duty order-issuing authority certified that the use of government quarters would have adversely affected the mission.