Claim for Reimbursement of Personal Expenses

Reconsideration was requested of the Claims Group's denial of a service member's claim for additional reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with permanent changes of station. Eligibility for a deferral of permanent change of station due to lack of facilities necessary for a dependent was not discovered until after the member's arrival, with the dependent, at the new station. The member was then reassigned to another station. GAO held that reassignment of a service member due to administrative error is not an event of an unusual nature unlikely to recur. The claim for additional expenses relating to such a reassignment does not contain such elements of legal liability of equity as to warrant submission to Congress under the Meritorious Claims Act. GAO concluded that there was no legal authority to reimburse the member for extra expenses relating to the two changes of station in excess of travel and relocation allowances set by statute and regulation, allowances already received by the member. Accordingly, the Claims Group's determination was sustained.