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Computing Mileage Allowance for Air Force Member Incident to Permanent Change of Station

B-199731 May 08, 1981
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Highlights

An Air Force accounting and finance officer in Europe requested an advance decision as to whether the ports of embarkation and debarkation actually used or the ones normally used should be the basis for computing the amount of travel allowances an Air Force member should be allowed. The expenses were incurred incident to a change in permanent duty station. The member's travel orders authorized him to travel to his new duty station in England from his old duty station in Japan via his home of record which was in California. The member traveled to California on Government furnished transportation. However, when he was ready to leave for England, he decided to travel on a commercial flight. After clearing this with the local air base legal office, he was given a travel advance to cover the cost of the commercial flight. The member canceled the Government transportation which was to depart from an air base in New Jersey and took a commercial flight to England. Subsequently, inquiry was made as to the actual proper mileage reimbursement due to the member. The issue for determination was whether the member is entitled to reimbursement for the mileage between his home of record in California and his normal port of embarkation, or whether the entire California to England trip is to be viewed as transoceanic travel, for which reimbursement is prohibited. Federal travel regulations define transoceanic travel as that between points of normal embarkation and debarkation. The member would have been paid transportation costs from California to New Jersey if he had not been granted permission to change his travel plans. Accordingly, the proper mileage allowance due is for the distance between his home of record in California and the air base in New Jersey.

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