[Former DOD Employee's Appeal of Denied Claim for Reimbursement for Cost of Shipping Household Goods]

A former Department of Defense (DOD) employee appealed his denied claim for reimbursement for the cost of shipping his household goods between his last duty station and his planned residence, both located overseas. GAO had held that DOD lacked authority to pay such transportation expenses between points outside the United States for separated employees whose actual residence was still in the United States. In his appeal, the claimant contended that GAO approved such reimbursement in a similar decision while his case was pending. GAO held that the: (1) prior decision established a new interpretation of regulations for prospective application from the date of the decision; and (2) claimant's separation occurred prior to the decision. Accordingly, the claim was denied.