Request for Additional Reimbursement of Dependents' Travel Expenses

A Marine Corps disbursing officer questioned whether a Marine Corps member might receive additional reimbursement of dependents' travel expenses incident to the member's transfer to a restricted duty station, one where his dependents were not authorized to accompany him. The member signed a travel voucher for dependents' travel, which indicated that his dependents were establishing a residence at his home of record moving from his previous duty station. The dependents then traveled, at the member's expense, to his duty station in Okinawa. He requested and received expense money for their travel from the home residence to Los Angeles, the debarkation point to Okinawa. After his assignment in Okinawa, the member was reassigned to Jacksonville, North Carolina, and was joined by his family. Again, he requested and received payment for travel from Los Angeles to Jacksonville. The Marine Corps contended that the member should not have been paid for travel to and from Los Angeles and began collection action to recover the overpayment. GAO held that if the member had designated Okinawa as the place for his dependents, payment might have been correct. However, under Marine Corps regulations, a member assigned to a restricted tour of duty is not authorized to be accompanied by dependents. Dependents may only visit as bona fide tourists at their own expense. Thus, the member was prohibited from establishing a residence at the restricted duty site and could not certify this location as a designated place for his dependents. Accordingly, it was held that the member could not receive the claimed amounts.