[Decision Concerning Proposed Amendment to Uniformed Services Travel Regulations]

The Department of Defense requested a decision concerning a proposed amendment to military travel regulations. The amendment would broaden the definition of a dependent for travel purposes to include an infant, unborn as of the effective date of a permanent change-of-station order, whose mother's travel to the new duty was delayed for any official reason. Current military travel regulations provide for an infant's travel expenses only if the mother's travel to a new duty station is delayed by an agency regulation prohibiting her from traveling because of the advanced state of her pregnancy. GAO held that it had no objection to the proposed amendment, since the change would: (1) serve the purpose of military dependents' travel allowances; and (2) make military travel regulations similar to civilian travel regulations with regard to such allowances. Accordingly, the change was approved.