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Military Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Lessons Learned

As soon as you get your orders meet with your corresponding Personal Property or TMO office.  The sooner you start preparing for your PCS, the better prepared you will be.  Avoiding a last minute rush is the best plan!

Changes to your PCS Reimbursement are on the way.
Starting on  March 1, 2008, your PCS reimbursements will change for the better.  A whole new system with new entitlements for military servicemembers.  Check out the new Military PCS Reimbursements.

Consider choosing the "Full Replacement Value"
You have the option of choosing the Full Replacement Value (FRV) insurance plan instead of the standard government depreciated plan.  That means that any items that are broken will be replaced at the full value of replacement.  For example:  you buy a $1000 television in 2002 and when you PCS in 2006, your movers break it (irreparable) -- if you go with the standard depreciation plan, the government depreciates your TV to $600 (since it is several years old) and pays you the depreciated value; however, if you go with the full replacement plan, the movers will pay you the $1000 that it costs to replace that TV.

Opting for the Full Replacement plan costs you money up front (approximately $150-$300 depending on how much you want to insure), however, this plan covers all your household goods at their full replacement value.  Government depreciation usually devalues household goods - especially items that are many years old, antiques, irreplaceable heirlooms, etc - if these are broken, the government usually depreciates these items by a large factor, compensating you very little for them.  Additionally, if you incur any losses while under the full replacement plan, you deal directly with the moving company, bypassing the government entirely.  Losses are quickly and efficiently compensated directly to you.

If you do not opt for the full replacement insurance, you are accepting the depreciated government plan.  In this case, if upon your arrival at your new duty station you notice broken items, you will have to fill out extensive paperwork to be filed with your TMO / Personal Property office and wait for the government to depreciate your losses and decide how much they want to compensate you.

You get to pick your moving company
Starting your PCS preparations early allows you more flexibility in choosing the moving company that you want.  When you meet with TMO / Personal Property, ask them for a list of available moving companies.  You should be able to put in your top three requests in moving companies - based on their availability on your PCS date, you will be matched with the appropriate company.

 

Arrange for a walk-through inspection prior to your move date Once you find out who your moving company is, you will have an opportunity to call them for coordination.  Call your moving company to arrange for a walk-through inspection prior to your moving date.  Your moving company will send a representative to your house to look over what you have to move, to coordinate any special instructions you may have, and to go over any last minute details and questions with you.  Make sure you mention any oversized items you may have, fragile items, large pieces of furniture, etc.

Ensure your movers pack you the right way - know your rights
If you don't specifically tell your movers to do these things, they won't do it.

1.  All Upholstered furniture should be shrink-wrapped.  All upholstered furniture (sofas, love seats, recliners, etc.) should be completely shrink-wrapped  individually and completely by the movers.  All overstuffed furniture is wrapped in clear plastic/shrink wrap to prevent stains and damage.
All items are carefully loaded in the moving van to ensure safe arrival at your new destination.

2.  All Wooden furniture should be pad-wrapped.  All wooden and un-upholstered furniture should be individually and completely pad-wrapped.  Pad-wrapping protects all surfaces and edges during the move.   All breakables are individually wrapped and padded to guard against breakage.  All furniture pieces are padded in the residence to prevent nicks, dents, and scratches.

3.  Large glass tabletops or custom glass frames should be crated.  This means, your movers will build custom-sized wooden crates to pack these glass items in.  Make sure you demand crating for your large glass surfaces.

4.  Bed mattresses should be packed in custom bed mattress boxes.  Bed mattresses should NEVER be simply placed in the moving van without being contained in a box.

5.  Pad the hand-truck or trolley.  Make sure your packers place padded material on the hand-truck or trolley itself, thus protecting your items as they are loaded and moved onto the moving van.

6.  The movers should place a runner carpet in your entry foyer to protect the floor.  This highly traveled area should be protected while your movers are packing up your home.

7.  Most items will be disassembled by your movers.  Bed frames, bicycles, furniture, desks, etc. that require disassembly will be done so by the movers.  Make sure they collect and keep aside all associated hardware (screws, nuts and bolts, etc.).  Additionally, it is the movers' responsibility to re-assemble all of your items at your destination as well.  Exceptions to this rule are: water bed bladders.

8.  There are certain items that the movers will NOT pack - make sure you take these into account during your pre-PCS planning.  Items most movers will not pack include:  propane tanks (gas grills, etc.), bottles of alcohol / liquor, candles, aerosol cans, hazardous materials, any open food.

Are you TDY Enroute to your PCS?
If you are on TDY status Enroute to your PCS - i.e. attending a formal school enroute to your PCS, you are entitled to have movers pack up to 800 pounds of household goods to ship to and from your TDY location.  For example, 1LT Smith is PCS from NAS Corpus Christi TX to Pope AFB, NC - but will by TDY to Little Rock AFB enroute to the PCS.  LT Smith is entitled to having up to 800 pounds of household goods shipped to his TDY location at Little Rock, and at the termination of the school, have 800 pounds also shipped FROM his TDY location to his final PCS destination of Pope AFB.  Make sure you arrange for this when coordinating your PCS paperwork.

Weigh your vehicle and do a Partial DITTY move
For each PCS, you should weigh your family's vehicles and fill out the paperwork for a Partial DITTY move.  This means that you will get paid for all the weight that you carry in your vehicles while driving to your PCS.  Even if you select movers to move your household goods, undoubtedly, you will be carrying some items in your vehicles - if you weigh your vehicles, you will get compensated for it.

 

Separate items you don't want the movers to pack Remember to set aside items that you don't want the movers to pack.  It is best to set these items aside in a separate room, or at least a closet or someplace that the movers won't accidentally get into.  Set aside the items you need on your trip, uniform and military items, official and important documents you will hand carry (passports, orders, checkbooks, etc.), and anything else you will readily need access to.  Remember, the movers will move EVERYTHING, so if you don't want it moved, set it aside.  Empty your waste baskets or your movers will actually pack your trash!

Permissive TDY for house hunting
As a service member, you are entitled to Permissive TDY for house hunting.  You can take this either prior to your PCS or after you arrive at your new duty station.  If you choose to house hunt prior to your PCS, you can receive up to 10 days Permissive; if you choose to house hunt after your PCS, you can receive up to 8 days Permissive.  This must be requested with standard leave paperwork and signed by your supervisor.  These Permissive TDY days do NOT count against your leave.

Trailers and U-Hauls expenses and not reimbursed
If during your DITY or Partial DITY move you rent a trailer or a U-haul, etc., these expenses will NOT be reimbursed by the government.  If you require a trailer rental or U-Haul, etc., the fees for these will have to be covered by you.

Military moving expenses and your Federal Income Taxes
When you file your Federal Income Taxes, there is an entry for moving expenses.  You can write-off any moving expenses NOT covered by the government.  Any out-of-pocket expenses that were required for your move, not paid for by the government can be considered a tax write-off.  For example, U-Haul rental fees are not covered by the government and can be considered a tax write-off.  Any other out-of-pocket moving expenses can be written off as well such as special packing materials you purchased, etc.

Try to arrange for a "Door to Door" move
Arranging for a "Door to Door" move during your PCS can make things run a whole lot smoother.  If you have already house-hunted prior to your move and have signed a lease or bought a home at your new duty station, you should arrange for a "Door to Door" move.  This is when the movers arrive at your home pack up your personal property and drive directly to your new home and unload at that point - all in one continuous move, door-to-door.  This is obviously not possible for those moves in which you have not done your house hunting prior to your PCS - in which case the movers will ship your personal property to your new location and place all of your items into temporary storage until you are ready to move into a home or apartment.  The more times your property gets loaded and unloaded from the moving van and temporary storage, the greater the chance something gets broken.  Door to Door moves are the easiest and most trouble-free moves

Temporary Storage
When a delay prevents a service member from moving into permanent housing at new duty station, the member is entitled to 90 days of temporary storage. An additional 90 days may be requested.
Any period beyond 180 days is considered long-term (non-temporary) storage.

Storage rules are different for members on temporary duty, additional duty or for those who are deployed.

Non-Temporary Storage (NTS)
Generally considered long-term storage. This storage may be authorized for overseas, sea duty, temporary duty under construction, separation or retirement. It is considered part of the member's weight allowance and is generally stored at point of origin for the length of the tour. Time limits vary depending on the type of orders (i.e. separation is 180 days while retirement is 1 year).

PCS Entitlements
1.  While driving enroute to your PCS, you will NOT be compensated at the normal TDY Per Diem rates.  For example:  you are PCSing from San Antonio, TX to Washington DC; for this move you are authorized 4 days to travel.  During your drive, you will NOT be paid the standard TDY Per Diem rates (since you are not on TDY status). 

Per diem
Per Diem for a PCS is computed completely different than a TDY. It’s a fixed-rate entitlement for meals and lodging, meaning you get the same amount of per diem if you stay at the Hilton, Motel 6, or the side of the road at mile marker 127 on I-40. You are authorized per diem for your actual travel days, not to exceed the number of days on your orders. Here’s how it breaks down:

Members -- $99 per day

Spouses -- $74.25 per day (exception: if your spouse doesn’t travel on the same day, it’s $99 per day)

Dependents 12 and older -- $74.25 per day

Dependents under 12 -- $49.50 per day

Since your per diem is a flat rate, you essentially get to keep what’s left over after you buy meals and pay the hotel bill for the night.

Rates for PCS travel, known as MALT (Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation), are different (lower) than TDY travel. This is because TDY travel rates are specifically designed to reimburse the member for traveling on official duty, and MALT rates were never intended to reimburse the transportation costs for driving a car; they are based on commercial fares and are a payment instead of providing the member with Government procured transportation. The MALT/PCS mileage rates do not reflect the price of gasoline. TDY mileage rates on the other hand, are based on the costs to operate a vehicle (gasoline, insurance, etc.) and are intended to reimburse the expense of using a POC for the official government travel.

The rate per car, depends on the number of passengers in the car for which the Government is providing reimbursement. Here is a quick reference table:

One passenger -- $0.15 per mile
Two passengers -- $0.17 per mile
Three passengers -- $0.19 per mile
Four or more Passengers -- $0.20 per mile
Remember, the rate is per car, not per person. So, for example, if a military member and his/her spouse traveled to a new duty station in one car, the reimbursement rate would be $0.17 per mile (total) for both of them. However, if they traveled in separate cars, the reimbursement would be $0.15 cents per mile for each car (assuming there were no additional dependents in either car). If the military member traveled in one car, and his/her spouse and child traveled in another car, the member would be reimbursed at the rate of $0.15 per mile for the car he/she is driving, and $0.17 per mile for the car that his/her dependents were traveling in.

In addition to the mileage rates, military personnel and their dependents receive a per diem for each day of travel. Generally, 1 day of travel time is allowed for each 350 miles of official distance of ordered travel. If the excess is 51 miles or more after dividing the total number of miles by 350, one additional day of travel time is allowed. When the total official distance is 400 miles or less, 1 day's travel time is allowed.

Plan ahead and see if you will be driving past a military installation (Air Force, Army, Navy; it doesn’t matter) on your way. You can stay for a night at a Temporary Lodging Facility (TLF) for under $40 at most military bases. You can make reservations ahead of time since you are on orders.

2. Are you TDY Enroute to your PCS?
If you are on TDY status Enroute to your PCS - i.e. attending a formal school enroute to your PCS, you are entitled to have movers pack up to 800 pounds of household goods to ship to and from your TDY location. For example, 1LT Smith is PCS from NAS Corpus Christi TX to Pope AFB, NC - but will by TDY to Little Rock AFB enroute to the PCS. LT Smith is entitled to having up to 800 pounds of household goods shipped to his TDY location at Little Rock, and at the termination of the school, have 800 pounds also shipped FROM his TDY location to his final PCS destination of Pope AFB. Make sure you arrange for this when coordinating your PCS paperwork. Weigh your vehicle and do a Partial DITTY move. For each PCS, you should weigh your family's vehicles and fill out the paperwork for a Partial DITTY move. This means that you will get paid for all the weight that you carry in your vehicles while driving to your PCS. Even if you select movers to move your household goods, undoubtedly, you will be carrying some items in your vehicles - if you weigh your vehicles, you will get compensated for it.

PCS TRAVEL
Passengers Rate Per Mile
1 $0.15
2 $0.17
3 $0.19
4 + $0.20


3. Travel Days
The single biggest factor is the distance and number of travel days between your new and old duty stations. Your PCS orders will usually have the number of travel days printed on the top right hand corner. You are authorized one travel day for every 350 miles (of any remaining miles, 51 miles or more is an additional travel day). Beware, this number isn’t always accurate, double check with Finance when you out-process. Three hundred and fifty miles is a lot of driving; assuming you drive 75 mph the entire way, that’s roughly six hours on the road once you figure in gas and meal stops. (Note: “Spouse” refers to a civilian spouse. Military spouses get their own entitlements).

4.  Don't forget to keep all of your receipts for parking, ferry fares, and toll fees.  These are all 100% reimbursed.

Reimbursement of parking fees, ferry fares, road, bridge and tunnel tolls is authorized for the direct route between the official points involved. Only one authorized traveler may claim reimbursement for these expenses (i.e., duplicate payments for the same expenses are not permitted).. Reference JFTR Chapter 5, U5105, B.

5.  Dislocation Allowance (DLA) - official website
The purpose of DLA is to partially reimburse a member, with or without dependents, for the expenses incurred in relocating the member's household on a PCS, housing moves ordered for the Government's convenience, or incident to an evacuation. This allowance is in addition to all other allowances authorized in this Volume and may be paid in advance.  More info - DLA FAQs.

6.  Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA) - Outside the Continental United States (Overseas/OCONUS)

7.  Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) - official website
Within the Continental United States (CONUS), you can be reimbursed up to 10 days of lodging at either your old or new base (split it up how you like). You have to stay in billeting unless you have a non-availability letter.

8.  You are entitled to an interest-free cash advance prior to your PCS.  With your Commander's approval, you are eligible for up to three months of your base pay in a interest-free cash advance.  This advance is intended to help you compensate for PCS moving expenses and the cost of buying a home.  You have up to 24 months to repay this loan, interest free.

If you have any questions regarding our PCS lessons above, please inquire with your TMO / Personal Property Office for more information.

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