Proposed Amendment to Joint Travel Regulations

An advance decision was requested concerning whether the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) may be amended to authorize members of the uniformed services, upon return from certain types of duty, to travel to the place where their dependents are located and then on to their new duty station rather than directly to the new station. Under JTR, military members are authorized to move their dependents at Government expense to a designated place away from the duty station because of the member's isolated duty, unusually arduous duty, or unaccompanied overseas tour. In a prior GAO decision, it was held that travel back to the permanent duty station from the temporary duty station or new home port could be considered as travel on Government business if it was performed for the purpose of arranging for the travel of dependents and transportation of household goods and personal effects. The location to which travel would be authorized is the last location to which the dependents traveled at Government expense. In a more recent decision, this was interpreted to permit travel from a temporary duty station to the old permanent duty station when a transfer of station occurred after a period of temporary duty even though the new permanent duty station was designated prior to the member's departure on temporary duty. GAO believes that this is applicable to this situation. Accordingly, JTR may be amended to authorize a member to travel at Government expense to the designated location to which his dependents and household effects are transported for the purpose of assisting in the relocation of dependents and/or personal effects. Such travel may be authorized in connection with travel to the permanent duty station to which dependents may not accompany the member and again upon return from that station in connection with travel to the next permanent duty station.