When having a PCS (Permanent Change of Station), or military relocation, it’s impossible to provide for every single detail to go smoothly. Two main factors make PCS moves one of the most stressful military events: the inherent difficulty of relocation and the general lack of information among service members and their family members.
When a military service member’s new duty station is more than 50 miles from the previous one, the relocation is referred to as a“Permanent Change of Station” (PCS). The government must foot the bill for the relocation because you have no choice but to comply with the directives.
There are three ways to conduct a PCS move. The first is a government contract relocation, in which case a commercial moving company will be hired to pack, ship, and unpack your belongings when your local Traffic Management Office (TMO) verifies your orders. The government will reimburse you for 95% of the amount it would have spent on hiring professional military movers. If you choose to do a Personally Procured Move (PPM), then you’ll be responsible for packing, transporting, and unpacking all of your own goods. The third alternative is a combined relocation, in which the government movers help with the shipping of some of your belongings and you do the rest.
We’re pretty sure those of you who have served in the army for any length of time have your own PCS or DITY moving stories. The military has a well-established protocol for handling all the formal necessities of a move; after all, they’ve done it before. However, there are a number of specifics to keep in mind when relocating a family and household to/from Boston and the area, as well as ways to streamline the process.
In the military, few things are guaranteed, yet transportation nearly always occurs. Those who’ve done it multiple times with the help of military TMO are well aware of the process. However, if you’re still relatively new to it, moversat Step by Step company have compiled a list of steps for you to follow today to make your military movements fast and flawless.