Board of Contract Appeals
                    General Services Administration
                         Washington, D.C. 20405
 
 
                             _____________
 
                              July 9, 1998
                             _____________
 
 
                            GSBCA 14423-RELO
 
 
                    In the Matter of A. SATTAR DOGAR
 
 
        A. Sattar Dogar, APO AE, Claimant.
 
        Lt. Col.  William  B.  Smith,  Chief,  Evaluation  Division,
   Headquarters, Military Traffic Management Command, Falls  Church,
   VA, appearing for Department of the Army.
 
   GOODMAN, Board Judge.
 
        Claimant  A.  Sattar Dogar  is  a civilian  employee  of the
   Defense  Logistics  Agency.    He  joined  the  Defense  Contract
   Management Command in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in May 1996. In August
   1996, claimant, his wife  and three children were  evacuated from
   Saudi  Arabia pursuant to Safe Haven  orders issued under Chapter
   12  of the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), Evacuation and Adverse
   Conditions Travel.  According to claimant s travel authorization,
   shipment of his household goods  (HHG) was authorized to the safe
   haven final destination of Lahore, Pakistan.
 
        Instead  of  shipping  the HHG  to  Lahore,  the  goods were
   shipped  to Islamabad,  Pakistan,  as  the  result  of  erroneous
   information  transmitted by the American Embassy in Saudi Arabia.
   Claimant  incurred additional  expenses  recovering his  HHG from
   Islamabad  to Lahore,  for which  he  claims reimbursement.   The
   agency  admits  that the  claimant's  HHG  were  shipped  to  the
   erroneous  destination  through  no fault  of  the  claimant, and
   requests a decision from this Board pursuant to 31  U.S.C.   3529
   as to claimant's entitlement to such costs.
 
 
                               Background
 
        Pursuant to agency memorandum dated September 24, 1996:
 
        The family members of [claimant] . . . listed below are
        authorized  transportation  to  .  .  .  Lahore .  .  .
        Pakistan under the provisions of Chapter 12.
 
             The   following   transportation   and  other
             allowances for the move to a  final safehaven
             are authorized: . . . 
 
             b.    Movement  of household  goods  (not  to
             exceed 18,000  lbs) from  the permanent  duty
             station  (PDS) and/or  non temporary  storage
             (NTS) to the final  safehaven location and/or
             placement in NTS [non-temporary storage].
 
        The shipment of HHG was sent to Islamabad, Pakistan, instead
   of Lahore.  The agency states  that the mistaken  destination was
   caused by an  oversight in the American Embassy  in Saudi Arabia.
   However, a memorandum  from the US  Military Training Mission  to
   Saudi Arabia dated May 17, 1997 states in relevant part:
 
        Since  there  are  no military  installations  in  this
        country [Saudi Arabia], we had to assign responsibility
        to the  only American agency  in the area which  is the
        American Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan  . . . .  There
        was never  any  confusion    . .  .  as  to  the  final
        destination of your goods [as being Lahore].
 
        Even though  the intended  destination was  Lahore, the  HHG
   arrived by air in Islamabad.   Claimant seeks the following costs
   incurred  in retrieving the  goods in Islamabad  and transporting
   them to Lahore:
 
        Trucking from Islamabad to Lahore                $  513
             Storage and Demurrage at Islamabad Airport        1067
             (Excluding Customs charges)   
        Air Fare between Lahore and Islamabad                    200
 
        Per diem for 3 days (3 x $171)                              
      513 
 
                               Discussion
 
        Title  5 U.S.C.   5725 provides authority for transportation
   at Government expense for  family  members and HHG to a  location
   designated  by the  employee when  an  official determination  by
   proper  authority is made  that emergency evacuation  movement is
   required.  Through  no  fault  of claimant,  the  HHG  arrived in
   Islamabad,  rather  than  Lahore,  the  location   designated  by
   claimant.  
 
        Under the  above-cited statute, the Government  is obligated
   to  pay  expenses  incurred  in  transporting  the  HHG   to  the
   designated location.  The trucking charge of $513 and storage and
   demurrage of  $1067 at  the Islamabad  Airport were necessary  in
   order  to  transport the  HHG  from  Saudi  Arabia to  the  final
   destination in Lahore.  Claimant is entitled to be reimbursed for
   these expenses.
 
        Claimant also seeks reimbursement of $200 for air fare and a
   per diem of $171 per day for 3 days  for expenses incurred by his
   wife for  travel to  Islamabad to retrieve  the HHG.   Claimant's
   wife  had  been previously  evacuated  to  the  final safe  haven
   destination  of Lahore,  which  was  her authorized  destination.
   Once she  and the other  family members had  arrived at the  safe
   haven,  they  were   not  authorized  additional  travel   costs.
   Claimant's wife is  not a government employee, and we  know of no
   authority that would  entitle claimant to reimbursement  of these
   travel expenses  incurred by  his wife in  order to  retrieve the
   HHG.
 
 
 
                                      _____________________
                                      ALLAN H. GOODMAN
                                      Board Judge