As peak PCS season approaches, some tips from an expert
By CARLOS BONGIOANNI | STARS AND STRIPES Published: March 20, 2013
Considered a normal part of the “military life cycle,” the Permanent Change of Station move can be a really positive experience — or a very trying ordeal — for military families.
With the military’s peak summer moving season fast approaching, March is typically a month that sees many servicemembers negotiating for PCS orders. Once those orders are issued, the pressure begins to mount as the moving date nears.
The Defense Department offers a number of resources that can help military families experience a smooth transition during their PCS move, according to Barbara Thompson, the director of the DOD’s Office of Family Policy.
Thompson was the guest speaker at a bloggers' roundtable hosted by the Defense Media Agency on Wednesday. She pointed out the need for military members to do their homework, and she highly recommended militaryonesource.mil, a DOD-sponsored website that offers valuable information on military-related subjects, including PCS moves.
During Wednesday’s telephone conference-call discussion, Thompson stressed the need for being prepared and “knowing what you’re going to be walking into,” when a military family moves. “If you don’t know, you can make some really expensive mistakes.”
She said some families who don’t do their homework end up having to move more than once because the school district serving the area to which they have moved doesn’t meet the needs of their child. Or, she said, a second move is required to reduce commute time to and from work. That’s an added disruption to family life that can magnify the stress the family is already under, she said.
Having a financial plan that makes allowances for unexpected expenses “that pop up on you” is another very important prerequisite for successful moves, Thompson said. Sometimes servicemembers who run out of cash during a move might have to borrow money from a source where they may not get “a reasonable loan” she said.
The “Plan My Move” option at militaryonesouce is probably the most commonly used resource tool at the website, said Thompson. It allows people to set up a calendar tailored to their specific needs, whether or not they have children or pets that will be moving to the new installation.
For those new to the military who may be preparing for their first PCS move, Thompson recommended they seek out guidance from a relocation manager at an installation’s Family Center. While the militaryonesource website offers a high-tech approach, a relocation manager can offer a more personable “high-touch” option, Thompson said.
And she added, always be open to valuable tips that more seasoned PCSers might have to offer.
Resources
The Basics
- Electronic Sponsorship Application and Training (eSAT training)
- Family Readiness System
- Military Youth on the Move (website)
- MilitaryINSTALLATIONS (website)
- Plan My Move (calendar)
- Policy and Legislation
Moving Overview
- Command Sponsorship
- Electronic Sponsorship Application and Training
- Housing Allowances
- Know Your Installation’s Relocation Support Offices
- Language Interpretation Services from Military OneSource
- Reaching Out to PCSing Service Members: Tips for Sponsors
- Support for Moving Stress
- The Last Move: Tips for Making Your Final Your Best Move
- Your Relocation Assistance Program and Services
- Your Relocation Assistance Program – A Benefit for Families on the Move
OCONUS Moves
- Business Travel and Managing Stress
- Celebrating the Holidays at an Overseas Duty Station
- Going Overseas? What You Need to Know Before You Go
- Helping Your Teenager Drive Overseas
- Moving Overseas: Your Belongings
- Using Credit Cards Overseas
Finance & Budgeting
- Avoiding Rental and Moving Scams
- Calculators
- Moving Allowances for Department of Defense Employees
- Planning Your Relocation Budget
- Renting Versus Buying When You PCS
- The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
Planning Your Move
- A Step Ahead
- Coping with Standardized Testing Systems When You Change Schools
- Deciding Where to Live When You Leave the Military
- Get a Sponsor to Help Make Your Move Smooth
- Getting Your Vehicle Ready for Storage
- Healthy Parenting during a Move
- Helping Children with Goodbyes and Coping with Separation Anxiety
- Helping Your Teenager Cope with Relocation
- How to Ace Your Next Move
- Moving to a New Duty Station with a Family Member with Special Needs
- Moving with Pets
- Moving with a Teen
- Moving with an Individualized Education Program
- Quick Tips for Military Travel
- Quick Tips for Safety When Moving
- Relocating When Your Child has a Serious Medical Condition
- Shipping a Car When You Move Overseas
- Temporary Lodging While You Wait for Installation Housing
- The Basics of Moving Your Personal Belongings
- Tips for Getting Your Move Started
- Translation and Interpretation Services for Permanent Change of Station Moves
- What to Do in the Event of a Deployment Cancellation
- What to Hand Carry When You Move
- What to do in the Event of a Deployment Postponement
Spouse Employment
- Finding a Job as a Military Spouse after a Permanent Change of Station Move
- Military Spouse Employment: Work That Travels Well
- Military Spouse Preference in Employment
- Transferring your Occupational License or Certification
Your Community
- A Guide to Health Care Providers: Who They Are and What They Do
- Deciding to Live On or Off the Installation When You're Single
- Deciding to Live On or Off the Installation as a Couple or Family
- Housing Options for Military Members and Their Families
- Living on an Installation for the First Time as a Military Spouse
- Military Housing Privatization Initiative
- Moving and Settling into a New Home with Children
- Renter's Insurance: Do I Need It on the Installation?
Popular Links
- Air Force Aid Society
- Air Force Reserve Command Airmen and Family Readiness
- Army Emergency Relief
- Army Housing OneStop
- Army OneSource
- Army Reserves
- Bureau of Public Affairs
- DEERS
- Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)
- Defense Travel Management Office
- Defense Travel System
- Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)
- Department of Education
- Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP)
- Internal Revenue Service
- Marine Forces Reserve
- Military K-12 Partners
- Military OneSource Tips
- Military PetsFOSTER Project
- Military Saves
- Military Spouse Residency Law - Defense Web article
- Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command
- Military Voter Services
- MyMoney.gov
- National Centers for Infectious Disease - Travelers' Health
- National Guard Bureau Family Program Online Community
- Navy Federal Credit Union
- Navy Housing Website
- Navy Marine Corps Relief Society
- Navy Reserve
- Operation Military Kids
- Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation
- Students at the Center
- TRICARE
- The Library of Congress Country Studies
- Travel.gov
- US Coast Guard Relocation Assistance
- United We Serve
- Where is my POV?