B-129464, NOV. 14, 1956

B-129464, NOV. 14, 1956

TO MR. EDWIN R. BAYS:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER DATED AUGUST 5, 1956, RELATIVE TO YOUR INDEBTEDNESS TO THE UNITED STATES IN THE SUM OF $188.40 REPRESENTING THE AMOUNT PAID TO YOU FOR TRAVEL CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN PERFORMED BY YOUR WIFE FROM MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, WASHINGTON, TO EAST PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, BETWEEN MAY 25 AND JUNE 20, 1953.

BY ORDERS DATED MAY 21, 1953, YOU WERE RELIEVED FROM YOUR ASSIGNMENT AT MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE AND DIRECTED TO REPORT TO CAMP KILMER, NEW JERSEY, NOT LATER THAN JUNE 20, 1953, FOR FURTHER ASSIGNMENT TO ICELAND. THE ORDERS PROVIDED THAT YOUR DEPENDENTS WOULD NOT ACCOMPANY YOU. THEY ALSO AUTHORIZED A DELAY EN ROUTE OF 12 DAYS AT LOWELL, ARIZONA. ON THE BASIS OF THOSE ORDERS YOU WERE ENTITLED TO TRANSPORTATION (OR A MILEAGE ALLOWANCE IN LIEU OF TRANSPORTATION) FOR YOUR WIFE'S TRAVEL FROM MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE TO ANY POINT IN THE UNITED STATES SELECTED BY YOU PROVIDED SHE TRAVELED TO SUCH PLACE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING A BONA FIDE RESIDENCE. ON JULY 7, 1953, WHILE SERVING OVERSEAS, YOU SIGNED A VOUCHER ON WHICH YOU CLAIMED SIX CENTS A MILE FOR YOUR WIFE'S TRAVEL FROM MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE TO EAST PATERSON, NEW JERSEY. THE SUM OF $188.40 FOR SUCH TRAVEL WAS INCLUDED IN THE AMOUNT PAID TO YOU ON VOUCHER NO. 215 IN THE JULY 1953 ACCOUNTS OF H. B. BARENTINE, SYMBOL 225-395. UPON AUDIT OF THE VOUCHER, EXCEPTION WAS TAKEN TO THE PAYMENT FOR YOUR WIFE'S TRAVEL FOR THE REASON THAT YOU STATED ON THE VOUCHER THAT SHE PERFORMED THE TRAVEL FROM MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE TO EAST PATERSON BETWEEN MAY 25 AND JUNE 20, 1953, WHEREAS THE RECORD SHOWED THAT ON JULY 3, 1953, SHE NEGOTIATED A CLASS Q ALLOTMENT CHECK AT LOWELL, ARIZONA, INDICATING THAT THE TRAVEL MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PERFORMED AS CERTIFIED BY YOU ON THE VOUCHER.

WHILE THE EXACT DATES OF YOUR WIFE'S TRAVEL TO EAST PATERSON ARE NOT SHOWN, IT DOES APPEAR THAT SHE ACTUALLY TRAVELED THERE PREPARATORY TO GOING TO YOUR OVERSEAS STATION. SUCH TRAVEL WAS NOT AUTHORIZED AND YOU NOW CONTEND THAT YOU ARE ENTITLED TO AN ALLOWANCE OF $110.64 FOR HER TRAVEL FROM MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE TO LOWELL, ARIZONA. YOU HAVE REFUNDED THE DIFFERENCE OF $77.76. FROM THE EVIDENCE AVAILABLE IT APPEARS THAT YOUR WIFE DID TRAVEL WITH YOU TO LOWELL, ARIZONA, AND REMAINED THERE WHEN YOU DEPARTED FOR YOUR OVERSEAS STATION. YOU SAY THAT LOWELL WAS THEN, AND STILL IS, YOUR PERMANENT HOME ADDRESS. IN VIEW OF SUCH STATEMENTS, THE RECORD WILL BE ACCEPTED AS ESTABLISHING THAT YOUR WIFE TRAVELED TO LOWELL FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING A BONA FIDE RESIDENCE INCIDENT TO YOUR CHANGE OF STATION. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE YOU HAVE REFUNDED THE SUM OF $77.76, THE RECORD OF YOUR INDEBTEDNESS FOR THE ADDITIONAL SUM OF $110.64 WILL BE CANCELED.