RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS 

AIR FORCE BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS 

 

IN THE MATTER OF: DOCKET NUMBER: BC-2011-02418 

 COUNSEL: NONE 

 HEARING DESIRED: NO 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT REQUESTS THAT: 

 

He be authorized expenses in the amount of $4,750.00 to fly back 
to Orlando, Florida to claim his privately owned vehicle (POV). 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT CONTENDS THAT: 

 

He received a letter of authorization to ship his POV to Panama 
City, Panama, where his household goods (HHGs) were also shipped. 

 

On 20 May 11, the vehicle processing center (VPC) accepted his 
POV for shipment, and about a month later he was informed there 
was a mistake, that he would have to fly back to Florida to pick 
it up. 

 

He should have been told he was not authorized to ship his POV to 
Panama. He should be reimbursed for the expenses he will incur 
to fly back to Florida to retrieve his POV and sell it. 

 

In support of his request, the applicant provides copies of 
various documents related to his POV shipment, his retirement 
order, and an estimate of the costs to recover his POV. 

 

The applicant's complete submission, with attachments, is at 
Exhibit A. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

STATEMENT OF FACTS: 

 

The applicant was released from active duty, and retired 
effective 1 Jun 11. The applicant chose Panama City, Panama as 
his retirement home. He made arrangements through the Traffic 
Management Flight (TMF) to ship his household goods (HHGs) to 
Panama. He obtained a letter of authorization to ship his POV to 
Panama. 

 

On 20 May 11, he turned over his POV to the VPC in Orlando, 
Florida for shipment to Panama. He was later contacted and 
advised that since Panama was not his authorized home of record 
(HOR), there was no authorization for shipment of his POV. 

 


Additional relevant facts pertaining to this application are 
contained in the letter prepared by the appropriate office of the 
Air Force at Exhibit B. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

PPA HQ/ECAF recommends partial relief. ECAF states the Joint 
Federal Travel Regulation (JFTR), Volume 1, Paragraph U5405, 
advises that shipment of a POV is authorized by a PCS order when 
ordered to make a PCS to, from, or between outside of the 
Continental United States (OCONUS) permanent duty stations. 
Paragraph U5130-A advises upon retirement a member may select a 
home: any place within the United States; the HOR or place 
outside the United States in which a member initially entered or 
was called to active duty; any other place (allowances in this 
situation is limited to those had the member selected a home at a 
CONUS location specified by the member). Since Panama is not the 
applicant’s HOR or place entered active duty, his entitlement 
falls under any other place, which limits his authorization to a 
home at a CONUS location specified by the member; and there is no 
authorization for shipment of his POV within CONUS. 

 

ECAF states there are no provisions for reimbursing a member for 
the items annotated in connection with shipment of a POV. 
However, to correct the error in initially authorizing a POV 
shipment, they recommend the applicant’s records be corrected to 
show authorization of a POV shipment to the VPC serving his 
desired home of selection in Panama. 

 

The complete ECAF evaluation is at Exhibit B. 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

APPLICANT'S REVIEW OF AIR FORCE EVALUATION: 

 

On 18 Nov 11, a copy of the Air Force evaluation was forwarded to 
the applicant for review and comment within 30 days. To date, a 
response has not been received (Exhibit C). 

 

_________________________________________________________________ 

 

THE BOARD CONCLUDES THAT: 

 

1. The applicant has exhausted all remedies provided by existing 
law or regulations. 

 

2. The application was timely filed. 

 

3. Sufficient relevant evidence has been presented to 
demonstrate the existence of error or injustice. The Personal 
Property Activity Headquarters (PPA HQ/ECAF), the Air Force 
office of primary responsibility in this matter, has verified the 


applicant was erroneously authorized shipment of his POV. As a 
result of this error, the applicant requests reimbursement for 
the expense he expects to incur in travelling from Panama to 
Florida to dispose of his vehicle. PPA HQ/ECAF notes there are 
no provisions for reimbursing a member for expenses incurred in 
connection with shipping a vehicle as requested by the applicant. 
However, because of the error made in the applicant’s case, PPA 
HQ ECAF recommends the applicant be authorized shipment of his 
POV to the VPC serving his desired home of selection in Panama 
and we concur. We believe it is in the interest of equity and 
justice to grant the applicant relief as recommended by PPA HQ 
ECAF. Therefore, we recommend the records be corrected to the 
extent indicated below. 

 

_______________________________________________________________ 

 

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: 

 

The pertinent military records of the Department of the Air Force 
relating to APPLICANT, be corrected to show that competent 
authority authorized shipment of his privately owned vehicle to 
the Vehicle Processing Center serving his desired home of 
selection in Panama City, Panama. 

 

_______________________________________________________________ 

 

The following members of the Board considered AFBCMR Docket 
Number BC-2011-02418 in Executive Session on 7 Feb 12, under the 
provisions of AFI 36-2603: 



 

All members voted to correct the records, as recommended. The 
following documentary evidence was considered: 

 

 Exhibit A. DD Form 149, dated 16 Jun 11, w/atchs. 

 Exhibit B. Letter, PPA HQ/ECAF, dated 8 Nov 11. 

 Exhibit C. Letter, SAF/MRBR, dated 18 Nov 11.