Shipment and Storage of Household Goods

Incident to his disability retirement, a civilian employee of the Department of the Army had his household goods (HHG) shipped to Ocala, Florida, from his last duty station in Hawaii. The employee claimed his HHG should have been shipped to Copperas Cove, Texas, because he did not authorize shipment to Florida.The employee signed travel orders, however, which stated that Ocala was the destination of the HHG. Since travel orders may not be retroactively modified once travel is performed, the employee may not be reimbursed the costs of shipping HHG from Ocala to Copperas Cove. The employee claims his place of actual residence for purposes of determining transportation entitlement on return from overseas appointment was Ocala, where he had at one time been assigned. Nevertheless, the employee signed a document upon being transferred overseas stating that Copperas Cove was his place of actual residence, and he lived in Copperas Cove for 2 years prior to his assignment overseas. The Army, therefore, properly determined his place of residence as Copperas Cove and properly restricted reimbursement for HHG shipment to the cost of shipping the employee's HHG to Copperas Cove. A separated employee returning from overseas is entitled to reimbursement for 60 days' temporary storage, and Government liability ends when the household goods are delivered to the designated place. Costs of storage at a second place of temporary storage within the 60 days must be paid by the employee.