B-121779, MAY 6, 1955, 34 COMP. GEN. 576

B-121779, MAY 6, 1955, 34 COMP. GEN. 576

TRAVELING EXPENSES - MILITARY, NAVAL, ETC. PERSONNEL - FARES - TAXICABS AN AIR FORCE OFFICER STATIONED IN WASHINGTON WHO IS ORDERED TO TRAVEL BY MILITARY AIR MAY BE REIMBURSED TAXICAB FARES FOR TRAVEL BETWEEN HIS QUARTERS, IN NORTH ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, AND ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, MARYLAND, AND RETURN, UNDER PARAGRAPH 4400-2 OF THE JOINT TRAVEL REGULATIONS WHICH AUTHORIZES REIMBURSEMENT FOR TAXICAB FARES BETWEEN PLACES OF ABODE AND THE LOCAL TERMINUS OF THE TRANSPORTATION USED.

ASSISTANT COMPTROLLER GENERAL WEITZEL TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL A. R. KOZEL, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, MAY 6, 1955:

THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERED YOUR LETTER OF MAY 12, 1954, FORWARDED HERE BY THE CHIEF OF FINANCE BY ENDORSEMENT DATED OCTOBER 8, 1954, REQUESTING DECISION WHETHER PAYMENT MAY BE MADE ON A SUBMITTED SUPPLEMENTAL VOUCHER STATED IN FAVOR OF MAJOR GEORGE R. LANNING, USAF, FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF TAXI FARES FROM HIS QUARTERS IN NORTH ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, TO ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, MARYLAND, AND FROM ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE TO HIS QUARTERS IN NORTH ARLINGTON, INCIDENT TO TRAVEL PERFORMED UNDER ORDERS OF APRIL 19, 1954.

UNDER THOSE ORDERS THE OFFICER WAS TO BE ABSENT FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE DAYS DURING WHICH HE WAS TO PROCEED TO RENO, NEVADA, AND OMAHA, NEBRASKA, FOR A STAFF VISIT WITH EIGHTH AIR RESCUE GROUP AND TO COORDINATE MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE EIGHTH AND FOURTEENTH AIR RESCUE GROUPS. TRAVEL WAS TO BE PERFORMED BY MILITARY OR COMMERCIAL AIR WHEN AVAILABLE. TRAVEL ACTUALLY WAS PERFORMED BY MILITARY AIRCRAFT LEAVING ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE AT 6:00 A.M. ON APRIL 21, 1954, AND RETURNING TO THAT PLACE AT 4:45 P. M. ON APRIL 25, 1954. REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES INVOLVED, OTHER THAN FOR THE TAXI FARES FROM HOME TO ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE AND RETURN, WAS MADE ON VOUCHER NO. 849772 OF YOUR MAY 1954 ACCOUNTS.

THE FURNISHING OF TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE DUTY STATION OF MILITARY PERSONNEL ORDERED TO PERFORM OFFICIAL TRAVEL IS A RECOGNIZED OBLIGATION OF THE GOVERNMENT, AND TAXI HIRE FOR THE TRAVEL FROM DUTY STATION (OR HOME WHERE IT IS CONSIDERED UNDER APPLICABLE REGULATIONS TO BE LOCATED AT THE DUTY STATION) TO THE LOCAL TERMINAL OF THE TRANSPORTATION FACILITY USED, AND RETURN, HAS BEEN CONSIDERED A PART OF THAT OBLIGATION. 24 COMP. GEN. 763. PARAGRAPH 4400-2 OF THE JOINT TRAVEL REGULATIONS PROVIDES THAT " REIMBURSEMENT IS AUTHORIZED FOR TAXICAB FARES BETWEEN PLACES OF ABODE OR BUSINESS AND STATIONS, WHARVES, AIRPORTS, OTHER COMMON CARRIER TERMINALS OR LOCAL TERMINUS OF THE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION USED * * *.' IT IS STATED IN THE SUBMITTED PAPERS THAT MAJOR LANNING'S DUTY STATION WAS AT THE PENTAGON IN ARLINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA. HIS ORDERS DIRECTED TRAVEL BY MILITARY OR COMMERCIAL AIR, AND WHILE THERE IS NO INDICATION AS TO THE REASON FOR HIS PROCEEDING TO THE ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE RATHER THAN TO BOILING FIELD OR THE NATIONAL AIRPORT FOR TRANSPORTATION, IT WILL BE ASSUMED THAT GOVERNMENT AIRCRAFT FOR THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE PARTICULAR MISSION WAS AVAILABLE ONLY AT THE ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE. WHILE THAT BASE IS NEITHER THE ONLY MILITARY AIR BASE FOR WASHINGTON, D.C., NOR THE NEAREST ONE, IT APPEARS TO BE A LOCAL TERMINUS FOR WASHINGTON FOR PERSONNEL ORDERED TO OR FROM THIS CITY VIA PLANES SCHEDULED FOR THAT BASE AND, CONSEQUENTLY, SUCH PERSONNEL ARE ENTITLED TO TRANSPORTATION BY TAXICAB BETWEEN THE ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE AND THE DUTY STATION TO WHICH ASSIGNED AT WASHINGTON, OR HOME IF LOCATED WITHIN THE WASHINGTON DUTY AREA, UNDER THE CITED PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT TRAVEL REGULATIONS.

ON THIS BASIS, IT APPEARS THAT MAJOR LANNING IS ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR HIS EXPENSES FOR TAXICAB TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE INCIDENT TO HIS TRAVEL UNDER THE ORDERS OF APRIL 19, 1954. ACCORDINGLY, IF OTHERWISE CORRECT, PAYMENT IS AUTHORIZED ON THE VOUCHER, WHICH IS RETURNED.