[Question Concerning Civilian Army Employee's Entitlement to Reimbursement for Certain Real Estate Expenses]

An Army finance and accounting officer requested a decision concerning the entitlement of a transferred civilian employee to reimbursement for real estate expenses. The employee was retransferred to a duty post that he had been stationed at 12 years prior. The Army refused to grant the claimed expenses noting that, since the employee had already been reimbursed for such expenses when he originally served at the duty station, he was not eligible to be reimbursed for identical expenses a second time. GAO held that the Army correctly noted the regulation prohibiting reimbursement of expenses before expiration of the time allowed for reimbursement of a previous and identical expense claim. However, since this time period had expired before the retransfer, the regulation did not apply to this situation. Accordingly, the expenses were reimbursable.