Temporary Duty Travel and Lodging Expenses

An advance decision was requested on the reimbursement of lodging expenses of an Air Force employee on a temporary duty assignment. Since there were no Government quarters available during the assignment, the employee stayed in a motel which was 74 miles from the duty station and 25 miles from his home. The Air Force argued that the employee did not comply with the spirit of the regulation which requires an employee who is in travel status to exercise prudence in incurring expenses, and that he may as well have traveled the extra 25 miles and stayed at home. Each case must be considered on its own facts and the facts in this case did not necessarily indicate imprudent conduct by the employee. Here, since there was no showing of any increased cost to the Government and no indication that the distance impeded the employee in the performance of his assignment, the employee should be reimbursed for his lodging expenses. Accordingly, the claim was allowed.