Entitlement of Overseas Employees to Travel and Relocation Expenses

Questions were considered concerning the entitlement of overseas employees' travel and relocation expenses while on long-term training assignment in the United States. The case of one such employee was presented to clarify the question of authorized entitlements. A civilian employee of the Department of the Army stationed overseas was selected to attend an industrial college in the United States for an interim period of training. After the employee's selection, his civilian personnel office mistakenly issued orders authorizing full permanent change of station (PSC) entitlements rather than issuing orders for an interim period of training. The employee who had completed his original overseas tour of duty agreed in writing that, upon completion of the training assignment, he would either exercise his reemployment rights to a station within the continental United States. GAO held that: (1) the employee was not entitled to full PCS entitlements until the training was completed and his transfer to a new permanent duty station; (2) the employee should have orders retroactively amended to authorize per diem allowances where the cost comparison required by statute was not made prior to issuing orders authorizing the transportation of dependents and household goods; (3) the employee should have orders issued authorizing the advance return of his dependents and household goods; (4) the employee who was not expected to return to the overseas assignment after training in the United States should be reimbursed transportation costs for a shipping privately owned vehicle by a American flag vessel on a Government bill of lading after the training was completed, the agreement was signed, and the employee was assigned to a new permanent duty station; (5) the employee should not be reimbursed for nontemporary storage expenses incident to the training; (6) the employee's overseas post allowances would cease when the employee's family no longer occupied quarters and departs from the overseas post; and (7) the employee should be reimbursed constructive cost of transportation from his old to his new duty station, less the cost of transportation from his old duty station to his place of residence.