Claims may be payable for loss of or damage to tangible personal property when the damage occurs incident to service. For loss of or damage to property to be incident to service, it must occur at a place and time that is connected to the service of an active duty military member or employment of a civilian employee.

(a) Authorized location. Claims are only payable when the claimed property is located in an authorized location. There must be some connection between the claimant's service and the location of the claimed property. Duty locations where personal property is used, stored or held because of official duties are authorized places. Other authorized places may include:

(1) Any location on a military installation not otherwise excluded.

(2) Any office, building, recreation area, or real estate the Air Force or any other DoD element uses or controls.

(3) Any place a military member is required or ordered to be pursuant to their duties and while performing those duties.

(4) Assigned Government housing or quarters in the United States or provided in kind. The Military Personnel and Civilian Employees' Claims Act specifically prohibits payment for loss of or damage to property in quarters within the U.S. unless the housing or quarters are assigned or otherwise provided in kind. Base housing that has not been privatized is generally considered assigned or provided in kind wherever it is located.

(i) Privatized housing or quarters within the United States subject to the Military Housing Privatization Initiative located within the fence line of a military installation or on federal land in which the DoD has an interest is considered assigned or otherwise provided in kind for the purposes of the Military Personnel and Civilian Employees' Claims Act.

(ii) [Reserved]

(5) Housing or quarters outside the United States. Outside the US, authorized off-base quarters, as well as assigned quarters, including quarters in U.S. territories and possessions, are authorized places. The residence of a civilian employee is not an authorized location if the employee is a local inhabitant.

(6) Temporary duty (TDY) quarters and locations en route to the TDY destination. Significant deviations from the direct travel route are not authorized locations.

(7) Permanent change of station (PCS) temporary quarters and locations enroute to the PCS destination. Significant deviations from the direct travel route are not authorized locations.

(8) Entitlement and benefit locations. For these locations to be authorized, the claimant must be using them for the intended purpose and the property must be reasonably linked to that purpose.

(9) Locations where personal property shipped or stored at government expense are found. Government facilities where property is stored at the claimant's expense or for their convenience without an entitlement are not authorized places.

(b) Payable causes of loss incident to service. Because the Personnel Claims Act (PCA) is not a substitute for private insurance, loss or damage at quarters or other authorized locations may only be paid if caused by:

(1) An unusual occurrence;

(2) Theft, vandalism or other malfeasance;

(3) Hostile action;

(4) A carrier, contractor, warehouseman or other transportation service provider storing or moving goods or privately owned vehicles at government expense;

(5) An agent of the US; or

(6) A permanent seizure of a witness' property by the Air Force.

(c) Privately owned vehicles (POV). Pay for damage to or loss of POVs caused by government negligence under subpart F or K. Pay under this subpart for damage or loss incident to:

(1) Theft of POVs or their contents, or vandalism to parked POVs:

(i) Anywhere on a military installation.

(ii) At offbase quarters overseas.

(iii) At other authorized places.

(2) Government shipment:

(i) To or from oversea areas incident to PCS.

(ii) On a space available reimbursable basis.

(iii) As a replacement vehicle under the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR).

(3) Authorized use for government duty other than PCS moves. The owner must have specific advance permission of the appropriate supervisor or official. Adequate proof of the permission and of nonavailability of official transportation must be provided prior to paying such claims. Claims arising while the claimant is deviating from the principal route or purpose of the trip should not be paid, but claims occurring after the claimant returns to the route or purpose should be paid. Travel between quarters and place of duty, including parking, is not authorized use for government duty.

(4) Paint spray, smokestack emission, and other similar operations by the Air Force on a military installation caused by a contractor's negligence. (Process the claim under subpart F or K, if government negligence causes such losses.) If a contractor's operation caused the damage:

(i) Refer the claim first to the contractor for settlement.

(ii) Settle the claim under this subpart if the contractor does not pay it or excessively delays payment, and assert a claim against the contractor.

(d) Damage to mobile or manufactured homes and contents in shipment. Pay such claims if there is no evidence of structural or mechanical failure for which the manufacturer is responsible.

(e) Borrowed property. Pay for loss or damage to property claimants borrow for their use. Either the borrower or lender, if proper claimants, may file a claim. Do not pay for property borrowed to accommodate the lender, i.e., such as to avoid weight or baggage restrictions in travel.

(f) Marine or aircraft incident. Pay claims of crewmembers and passengers who are in duty or leave status at the time of the incident. Payable items include jettisoned baggage, clothing worn at the time of an incident, and reasonable amounts of money, jewelry, and other personal items.

(g) Combat losses. Pay for personal property losses, whether or not the United States was involved, due to:

(1) Enemy action.

(2) Action to prevent capture and confiscation.

(3) Combat activities.

(h) Civil activity losses. Pay for losses resulting from a claimant's acts to:

(1) Quell a civil disturbance.

(2) Assist during a public disaster.

(3) Save human life.

(4) Save government property.

(i) Confiscated property. Pay for losses when:

(1) A foreign government unjustly confiscates property.

(2) An unjust change or application of foreign law forces surrender or abandonmnet of property.

(j) Clothing and accessories worn on the person. Pay claims for damage to eyeglasses, hearing aids, and dentures the government did not supply, when the damage results from actions beyond the normal risks associated with daily living and working. Claimants assume the risk of normal wear and tear, and their negligence bars payment of the claim.

(k) Money losses. Pay claims for loss of money when the losses are due to theft from quarters, other authorized places, or from the person, if the claimant was required to be in the area and could not avoid the theft by due care. As a general rule, $200.00 is reasonable to have in quarters, and $100.00 is reasonable to have on the person unless:

(1) The money was in a bona fide coin collection.

(2) The claimant can justify possession of the money for a PCS move, extended TDY, vacation, extensive shopping trip, or similar circumstances. The claimant must show a good reason why the money had not been deposited in a bank or converted into travelers checks or a money order.

(3) Local commercial facilities are not available or because U.S. personnel do not generally use such facilities.

[55 FR 2809, Jan. 29, 1990. Redesignated and amended at 81 FR 83688, 83689, Nov. 22, 2016]