B-130204, JAN. 17, 1957

B-130204, JAN. 17, 1957

TO ENSIGN LAWRENCE F. ARNOLD, USN, EARL K. OLSEN (DE-765):

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF NOVEMBER 21, 1956, IN EFFECT REQUESTING REVIEW OF THE SETTLEMENT OF OCTOBER 23, 1956, WHICH DISALLOWED THE GREATER PORTION OF YOUR CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THE COST OF SHIPPING YOUR HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS FROM PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, TO ATHENS, GEORGIA.

BY BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL ORDERS DATED MAY 4, 1956, UPON ACCEPTANCE OF APPOINTMENT AS ENSIGN AND WHEN DIRECTED BY THE PROFESSOR OF NAVAL SCIENCE, NROTC UNIT, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, YOU WERE TO PROCEED TO ATHENS, GEORGIA, FOR FURTHER ASSIGNMENT. YOU WERE AUTHORIZED TO DELAY FOR A PERIOD OF 15 DAYS BUT NOT LATER THAN JULY 9, 1956, IN REPORTING IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE ORDERS. THE ORDERS WERE ADDRESSED TO YOU AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, AND WERE DELIVERED TO YOU ON JUNE 13, 1956. YOU DEPARTED PHILADELPHIA ON THAT DATE AND ARRIVED IN ATHENS ON JUNE 22, 1956.

YOUR HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS, WEIGHING 357 POUNDS, WERE SHIPPED FROM PITTSBURGH, YOUR HOME, TO ATHENS BY EXPRESS IN THREE LOTS ON JUNE 19, 25 AND 26, 1956. BY THE SETTLEMENT MENTIONED ABOVE YOU WERE ALLOWED $12.42 AS REIMBURSEMENT COMPUTED ON THE BASIS OF RAIL FREIGHT FROM PHILADELPHIA TO ATHENS. IN YOUR PRESENT LETTER YOU CONTEND YOU ARE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR SHIPMENT BY EXPRESS BETWEEN THOSE POINTS. AS TO YOUR REASON FOR SHIPPING YOUR EFFECTS BY EXPRESS, YOU STATED IN YOUR ORIGINAL CLAIM THAT YOU COULD NOT SHIP PRIOR TO JUNE 17, 1956, FOR THE REASON THAT YOU WERE MARRIED ON THAT DATE AND A PORTION OF THE EFFECTS BELONGED TO YOUR WIFE.

THE TRANSPORTATION OF HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED SERVICES IS GOVERNED BY JOINT TRAVEL REGULATIONS PROMULGATED PURSUANT TO SECTION 303 (C) OF THE CAREER COMPENSATION ACT OF 1949, 63 STAT. 813, 814. THOSE REGULATIONS PROVIDE (PARAGRAPH 8052) THAT WHEN CERTAIN ARTICLES ARE REQUIRED FOR USE IN CARRYING OUT ASSIGNED DUTIES OR ARE REQUIRED BECAUSE OF EXIGENCIES OF THE SERVICE AND SHIPMENT BY ORDINARY MEANS WILL NOT SERVE THE PURPOSE, SHIPMENT OF NOT TO EXCEED A TOTAL OF 500 POUNDS IS AUTHORIZED TO BE MADE BY EXPRESS AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE. IN YOUR CASE, IT SEEMS CLEAR THAT TIMELY SHIPMENT COULD HAVE BEEN MADE BY ORDINARY MEANS EXCEPT FOR PERSONAL REASONS NOT RELATED TO YOUR ASSIGNED DUTIES OR EXIGENCIES OF THE SERVICE. THAT BEING TRUE, SHIPMENT BY EXPRESS WAS NOT AUTHORIZED. HOWEVER, SINCE YOU WERE ENTITLED TO SHIP YOUR HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS FROM EITHER YOUR HOME OF RECORD OR THE PLACE FROM WHICH YOU WERE ORDERED TO ACTIVE DUTY, YOU ARE DUE ADDITIONAL REIMBURSEMENT COMPUTED ON THE BASIS OF SHIPMENT BY RAIL FREIGHT FROM PITTSBURGH TO ATHENS. A SUPPLEMENTARY SETTLEMENT FOR THE AMOUNT DUE ON THAT BASIS WILL ISSUE IN DUE COURSE.