[Request for Decision Concerning Navy Member's Entitlement to Basic Allowance for Quarters]

A GAO decision was requested concerning a Naval officer's entitlement to payment of a basic allowance for quarters. The officer was transferred from one ship to another, both of which had the same home port. Prior to reporting to his new duty station, the officer was receiving a basic allowance for quarters when he elected not to occupy available quarters while his ship was in home port. Upon his transfer, he had to occupy quarters on the ship. GAO stated that, since the home port of both his former and new assignments was the same and since a home port is included in the definition of a permanent station for a member assigned to a ship, the officer's situation did not involve a permanent change of station for the purpose of entitlement to basic allowance for quarters. However, since the officer was receiving a basic allowance for quarters at the home port of the ship to which he was assigned, he could continue to receive the allowance for 90 days after he reported to the new ship. If the officer had not been transferred between ships with the same home port, he would have had to qualify for the allowance at the new home port before the entitlement could be allowed.