Request by Foreign Service Employee for Home Leave in Panama Canal Zone

A Foreign Service employee serving overseas requested home leave in the Panama Canal Zone; her legal residence was Virginia and her residence for service separation was Washington, D.C. or Virginia. The designation of the Canal Zone as a home leave residence was because the employee was born there and lived there with her family until she moved to the United States for college and ultimate employment with the State Department. Home leave may only be granted in the continental United States or its territories and possessions, and the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 provides that Panama has full sovereignty over the Canal Zone. Since home leave is compulsory under legislation, the employee should designate an appropriate location for this purpose.