[NSA Employee's Entitlement to Per Diem and Travel Expenses for Return Travel]

The National Security Agency (NSA) requested a decision regarding an employee's entitlement to reimbursement for per diem and transportation expenses he incurred in travelling from his temporary duty station to his permanent duty station on official business. The claimant contended that: (1) NSA requested that he return to his permanent station; and (2) he required motel accommodations because his partially constructed residence was uninhabitable. GAO held that the: (1) claimant's inability to use his residence had no bearing on the fact that he was not entitled to reimbursement for per diem expenses at his permanent duty station; and (2) claimant was not entitled to reimbursement for his travel expenses, since there was no authorization for him to perform the travel. Accordingly, NSA should not reimburse the claimant for his per diem expenses, but should reimburse him for his travel expenses if it should decide to retroactively approve the travel.