B-160966, OCT. 24, 1967

B-160966, OCT. 24, 1967

MILEAGE - BETWEEN HOME AND TERMINAL DECISION TO CLAIMANT (ARMY EMPLOYEE) FOR MILEAGE FOR TRAVEL BETWEEN HOME AND TERMINAL INCIDENT TO TRAVEL TO TEMPORARY DUTY. EMPLOYEE WHO CLAIMS MILEAGE FOR TRAVEL BETWEEN PINE BLUFF ARSENAL AND LITTLE ROCK, ARK., DISTANCE OF 35 MILES, WHERE HE BEGAN TRAVEL TO TEMPORARY DUTY IN BALTIMORE MUST HAVE TRAVEL BETWEEN PINE BLUFF AND RESIDENCE IN LITTLE ROCK REGARDED AS SEPARATE AND APART FROM TRAVEL FROM LITTLE ROCK TO BALTIMORE SINCE RECORD SHOWS EMPLOYEE DEPARTED AND RETURNED TO RESIDENCE BEFORE REPORTING TO PINE BLUFF AND, THEREFORE THERE IS NO BASIS FOR ALLOWANCE OF CLAIM.

TO MR. BEN C. SHIPP:

YOUR LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 17, 1967, REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR CERTAIN TRAVELING EXPENSES REFERRED TO IN THE SECOND TO LAST PARAGRAPH OF OUR DECISION B-160966 DATED MAY 19, 1967, TO YOU, WHICH INVOLVED TRANSPORTATION IN 1961 BETWEEN PINE BLUFF ARSENAL AND LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES EN ROUTE TO TEMPORARY DUTY IN THE VICINITY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IN OUR DECISION WE NOTED THAT ON YOUR ORIGINAL VOUCHER YOU CLAIMED TAXI FARES BETWEEN YOUR RESIDENCE AND THE LITTLE ROCK RAILWAY AND AIR TERMINALS. YOU WERE INFORMED THAT PER DIEM IS NOT ALLOWABLE TO A TRAVELER WHO USES AN AUTOMOBILE OR OTHER NONSCHEDULED MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN HIS HOME AND A TERMINAL UNLESS LOCATED MORE THAN 50 MILES DISTANT. ALSO, YOU WERE INFORMED THAT MILEAGE IS ALLOWABLE FOR ROUND TRIP MILEAGE BETWEEN A TRAVELER'S HOME AND A TERMINAL NOT IN EXCESS OF ONEWAY TAXI FARE BETWEEN SUCH POINTS.

YOUR LETTER OF SEPTEMBER 17, 1967, SAYS IN PART:

"* * * I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR AIR CARRIER FARE FROM PINE BLUFF TO LITTLE ROCK AND RETURN FOR EACH VOUCHER * * * LESS THE TAXI FARES * * * AND APPLICABLE PER DIEM ALLOWANCE, ASSUMING GOVT- TRANSPORTATION WAS AVAILABLE FROM PINE BLUFF ARSENAL TO PINE BLUFF AIRPORT AND RETURN FOR EACH VOUCHER. * * *"

ALSO YOU SAY THE TAXI FARES CHARGED (CLAIMED ON YOUR SIGNED VOUCHERS) WERE LIMITATIONS WITHOUT AUTHORITY IMPOSED ON YOU BY THE THEN COMMANDING OFFICER OF PINE BLUFF ARSENAL.

APPARENTLY, YOUR PRESENT CLAIM IS PREDICATED ON A STATEMENT IN A PREVIOUS LETTER THAT YOU TRAVELED BETWEEN PINE BLUFF ARSENAL AND LITTLE ROCK ON THE DAYS YOU BEGAN YOUR TRAVEL TO THE VICINITY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. THAT CONNECTION THE RECORD SHOWS THAT ON BOTH OF YOUR TRIPS FOR TEMPORARY DUTY IN JUNE AND JULY 1961 YOU DEPARTED FROM LITTLE ROCK AT 11:30 P.M. BY RAIL AND ARRIVED BACK IN LITTLE ROCK BY AIR AT APPROXIMATELY 9 P.M. IN VIEW THEREOF, WE ASSUME THAT ON THE DATES OF DEPARTURE FROM LITTLE ROCK YOU HAD RETURNED TO YOUR RESIDENCE IN LITTLE ROCK AFTER COMPLETION OF YOUR NORMAL WORKING HOURS AND THEN PROCEEDED TO THE RAILWAY TERMINAL AROUND 11 P.M. LIKEWISE, WHEN YOU CAME BACK TO LITTLE ROCK BY AIR WE ASSUME YOU PROCEEDED TO YOUR RESIDENCE AND THE NEXT MORNING REPORTED FOR WORK IN THE USUAL MANNER AT PINE BLUFF ARSENAL. UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES YOU WOULD NOT BE ENTITLED TO ANY TRAVELING EXPENSES ON THE BASIS SUGGESTED IN YOUR ABOVE LETTER TO US. IN OTHER WORDS, THE TRAVEL BETWEEN PINE BLUFF ARSENAL AND YOUR RESIDENCE IN LITTLE ROCK MUST BE REGARDED AS SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE TRAVEL BETWEEN LITTLE ROCK AND THE VICINITY OF BALTIMORE.

THEREFORE, THE PRESENT RECORD PRESENTS NO BASIS FOR ALLOWING YOU ANY AMOUNT FOR TRAVELING EXPENSES BETWEEN PINE BLUFF ARSENAL AND LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.