[Decision on Entitlement of FBI Surveillance Team Members to Reimbursement for Cold Weather Clothing]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation requested an advance decision as to whether it could certify reimbursement of a surveillance team's cold-weather clothing purchases during an extended mission. GAO held that the: (1) personal clothing items were not miscellaneous expenditures necessary for the protection of the personnel in their assigned tasks; (2) team members retained the clothing for personal use after the mission; and (3) cold weather clothing was not special equipment necessary to the government. Accordingly, the claim was denied.