When you receive the official order that it’s time to move, it can be both exciting and overwhelming. Living somewhere new and developing your career creates exciting opportunities for you and your family, but it can also present challenges, especially for Air Force families that are PCSing every few years. Below, we’ll talk more about PCSing and give you tips to prepare for your move and ways you can reduce your stress during the moving process.

What Is PCSing?

PCSing refers to a permanent change of station, which is when an Airmen and their family will leave their current duty station and head to another Air Force base. There are many reasons why Airmen may have a change in their duty station, which can include:

●New orders

●Promotions

●Resource access

●Base closure or realignment

●Strategic relocation

You can PCS at any time during your contract, but PCSing usually occurs once every two to four years. However, some Airmen may only change duty stations a few times and may end up at one base for more than four years, depending on the length of their contract and whether they reenlist.

Tips and Tricks for Preparing for Your Move

If you’ve never had to PCS before, you may feel stress and anxiety about the move, especially if you’re not sure what steps to take. Below, we’ll give you some of the best tips and tricks for preparing for your upcoming move to relieve some of your stress and concerns.

1. Start Setting Up Your Move ASAP

You can start making arrangements for your move as soon as you get your orders, and you should do so as soon as possible. Sometimes, you will receive your orders months in advance, giving you plenty of time to plan and coordinate your move. Other times, you can receive your orders with just a few weeks notice and you’ll need to start planning immediately. Even if you have a few months before you need to report to your new duty station, it’s important to start planning immediately.

If you’re PCSing during the busy season, you may run into some trouble with scheduling pickup and delivery of your belongings in a time frame that works for you. You can start the process with your orders in hand by heading to your bass’s transportation office.

PCSing overseas will be a little more challenging than moving to a base in the States. You will have a lot more items you need to ship, such as your vehicle and unaccompanied luggage. There will also be weight limits you need to consider, which may limit what you can bring. When you talk with your transportation office, they can give you the details about shipping your items overseas.

2. Make a Moving Plan

Now that you’ve visited your transportation office and have arranged for your move, the next thing to consider is how you and your family plan on getting to your new duty station. If you’re moving within the continental U.S., you may want to drive which means you’ll need to plan a route and a few backup routes in case you encounter trouble on the way. You should also plan your stops in advance, especially if you are traveling a long distance and need to stay at a hotel for a night or two.

You may choose to fly rather than drive, and you’ll want to look at plane tickets in advance as they tend to get more expensive the longer you wait. You should also account for unexpected delays and layovers since you need to be at your new duty station on time. Showing up late because of poor planning could get you in trouble with your command, so it’s important to account for any delays you may encounter along the way.

3. Think About the Different Moving Options

As you start planning your move, you’ll discover that you have a couple of different options. The option you pick will depend on what’s best for you. Your options include:

●Traditional move: A traditional move involves a military-approved moving company coming to your home to pack your things and load them up for shipment and delivery to your new duty station. This option reduces your personal costs since the military is paying for the move, but you’ll need to account for the possibility of your items being lost, damaged, or stolen in transit.

●Personally procured move (PPM): A PPM essentially boils down to a move you do yourself without the assistance of the military. You will be responsible for hiring a truck, packing all your belongings, loading everything up, and reaching your new destination. You will need to pay for the cost upfront, but the military will reimburse you for the cost up to 95% of what you spent. The main benefit of this method is that you won’t need to wait as long for moving services during the busy season but it can be more time-consuming than a traditional military move.

●Partial PPM: You can choose between a combination of the traditional move and a PPM. You can choose this method if there are valuable items you want to transport yourself while a moving company will handle the rest. Like a regular PPM, the military will reimburse you for your move.

4. Establish a Budget

Moving can be expensive, even if the military is paying to transport your belongings. You don’t want to encounter unexpected costs and have to go into unnecessary debt to finance your move and pay for travel. Instead, take some time before your move to estimate your expenses, which can include lodging for your travels, gas, food, lodging, and more. If you’re being required to PCS quickly, it’s possible that you’ll be able to access a government travel card (GTC).

You will also want to consider some of the costs you’ll have when you reach your destination, such as the costs it takes to start using your utilities. Keep enough in your savings account so you can pay for these expenses once you arrive.

5. Look Into Your New Duty Station

While you won’t always have the time before you have to PCS, it’s a good idea to research your new duty station before you officially move and maybe even schedule a visit to see your new home in person. If you don’t have the time to visit in person, you can always use the internet to your advantage and get in touch with your sponsor.

Your sponsor is assigned to you when you PCS and is meant to assist you with the move and help you adjust to your new home. You can contact your sponsor to access a wide range of information regarding your new duty station, including resources for your family, points of interest, important locations, and more. It’s your sponsor's responsibility to give you access to the best information, but you can take it a step further by doing some additional research on your own.

Use the internet to your advantage and research your new base through their website. You can also check social media, community pages, and forums. You can find active duty and retired Airmen who have served and speak with them about their experience at your new duty station, which can give you additional perspective on what it’s really like to serve there.

6. Use an Efficient Packing Checklist

Once you’ve arranged your move and you get closer to your move date, it’s time to start packing. The best way to pack is to start with a packing checklist so you can stay organized through the whole process. This method allows you to track what you have packed, what still needs to be packed, and what you’re throwing out or donating.

If you choose a traditional move, then you will need to prepare for military movers. You won’t need to worry about packing in advance if you’re having the military move you, but you can always pack things in advance if you want certain items together. If there are items you don’t want to bring or don’t want to pack, make sure you get rid of these items from your home before the movers show up.

Before things are moved around, take pictures of your belongings in case anything is broken or lost during the move. It’s recommended that you take a video of everything you have in your home in as much detail as possible in case you need to file a claim. Make sure to take close-ups of larger items and show the current condition and take videos or pictures of high-value items separately. If you end up needing to file a claim for lost or damaged items, you can use the photos and videos as proof of ownership and condition.

If you’re doing the packing and moving yourself, your checklist will come in handy as you’re filling boxes. You may also want to consider packing a box for your first day with all your essentials, such as toiletries, a change of clothes, chargers, and whatever else you might need the first night when you want to rest rather than unpack.

7. Hold Onto Your Documents

You don’t want to pack up your documents and have to try to find them in your boxes when you arrive and need them. Take your documents with you in your personal vehicle or luggage so you have access to them and know where they are at all times. The documents you should keep track of during your move include:

●Social security cards

●Birth certificates

●Medical and dental records

●Driver’s licenses

●School records

●Passports

●Other IDs

●Car titles

●Vet records

You can put these items in a folder or another safe place, like a locked bag or briefcase, while you’re traveling. If you stop somewhere for the night as you head to your new duty station, take them with you rather than leaving them in your vehicle in case of theft. You may also want to check on your documents a few times during longer trips to make sure nothing has been misplaced or lost.

8. Make a Plan for Your New Living Situation

You will have a few things to consider when moving to a new duty station, such as whether you want to live on or off base. If you want to live on base, you will need to get on the waiting list for housing and it’s best to do this as soon as possible so you’re not scrambling to find temporary housing when you get to your duty station. However, some bases have long waiting lists, so you may need to look at temporary housing anyway.

If you’re choosing to live off base instead, you should start the process as soon as possible. If you’re renting, you’ll need to go through the application process. Buying a home can take even longer. A realtor from your new location can help you find something in the area that’s within your budget and suitable for your family.

How to Cope With Frequent Relocations

Unfortunately, PCSing is something that’s out of our control, and it can cause a lot of stress for Airmen and their families. Below are some tips for dealing with the physical, emotional, and financial stress of PCSing so you can thrive at your new duty station:

●Take care of yourself: It’s important to care for your physical and mental health when you’re going through something challenging. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep each night, eating well, and getting some exercise in so you’re giving yourself the physical and mental energy you need to tackle the challenges you’ll encounter as you handle your move.

●Plan ahead: Taking some time to plan your move in advance and do some research can help alleviate some of the stress that comes with moving. You will also be able to set a budget and save what you need, which can ease your mind when it comes to your finances.

●Talk to someone: Moving comes with challenges and moving away from your support system and a familiar town to somewhere new can be distressing for you and your family. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, there’s no shame in going to someone to talk, whether you’re venting or seeking advice. You can talk to family, friends, mental health counselors, or chaplains.

●Focus on what’s in your control: PCSing and a lot of the challenges that come with it are often out of your control. Focusing on these stressors will only make you feel worse, so it’s best to let them be and focus on what you can control instead. Focus on things like packing, arranging what you can, and helping your family with the move.

●Commit to meeting new people: It can feel isolating to move to a new duty station when you don’t know anyone there. It’s important to make an effort to meet new people, especially with your family. These connections can become a vital part of your support system and can make you feel more connected to the community.

AUSI Offers Our Support No Matter Where Your Move Takes You

American Uniform Sales is here to support our Airmen, whether you’re PCSing a few states away or going abroad. While we can’t help you pack your boxes and arrange your move, we can help you stay within Air Force regulations so you have one less thing to worry about. We can provide you with Air Force uniforms that are AFI-compliant. Choose from our wide selection of clothing, insignia, rank, footwear, and more. Get started by browsing our products, or contact us with your questions.