Request for Travel Expenses

An employee of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), who married while at a temporary duty station (TDY) overseas, claimed reimbursement for the following travel expenses: his wife's travel between TDY stations and her per diem at TDY stations; traveling expenses for himself and his wife under relocation travel order; and travel expenses relating to a permanent change of station. The wife's travel had originally been authorized by DEA under the mistaken belief that certain provisions of the Foreign Affairs Manual applied. The applicable Federal Travel Regulations provide no authority for the wife's travel or per diem. The record indicated that the employee never consummated the permanent change of station in the United States. Instead, he chose to resign at a debriefing in Washington, D.C., and is not entitled to relocation expenses. In addition, since the employee was a local hire overseas who did not sign a transportation agreement at the time of hire, he is not entitled to reimbursement of transportation expenses to his home of record in the United States at the time of his separation.