[Claim for Reimbursement for Cost of Shipping Household Goods]

An authorized certifying officer of the Department of Agriculture requested an advance decision on the propriety of reimbursing a Forest Service employee for the cost of shipping his household goods separately from his mobile home. The employee, who was transferred from one official duty station to another, stated that he shipped his household goods separately because the shipping company required that the mobile home be emptied of furniture and personal effects due to its size. GAO stated that, under the statute and implementing regulations, payment of the cost of transporting a mobile home is in lieu of paying for the shipment of household goods, and both allowances are not reimbursable for the same transfer. Accordingly, the employee may not be reimbursed for the cost of shipping his household goods and personal effects separately from his mobile home.