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Summer is a time of warm weather, baseball and if you are a Marine ‒ moving. It does not matter if your move is a Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Permanent Change of Assignment (PCA), separation or retirement, everyone must process through the Installation Personnel Administration Center (IPAC).
Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Brogdon, senior noncommissioned officer in charge of Outbound Assignments, has seen many common missteps Marines and their dependants can encounter during this stressful time and is optimistic the automation of some processes can reduce these. After the excitement of getting notification of web orders has passed, it is time to start the process.
“Do not delay completing the outbound interview on MOL (Marine Online)” emphasized Brogdon. The computerized transfer data sheet must be completed prior to any action from IPAC. Only after being routed though your chain of command can IPAC execute your orders.
Personnel transferring Outside Continental United States (OCONUS) have additional paperwork, which should be a priority. Most important of these is the OCONUS overseas suitability screening conducted by medical. This screening ensures that the service member and their dependents will not be placed in a location that cannot handle any special medical treatment or services they may require. Brogdon went on to stress, “Without completion of the overseas suitability screening, the Marine will not PCS as scheduled.”
While there are special rules in place and paperwork required for assignments requiring special duty, training and other non-typical orders, most PCSs are routine and come with routine issues. During his portion of the PCS workshop, hosted by Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS), Brogdon personally points out several “show stoppers.” Included in these are deficient outbound interview on MOL (both by the Marine and the required command signatures), lack of security clearance letter and incomplete command check-out sheets.
However, Brogdon said the two snakes that seem to bite personnel the most are “noncompliance with the GTCC (government travel charge card) rules and properly filling out the paperwork for pets.” Brogdon warned that as of January 2016, all service members are required to have a GTCC and use it during their PCS. Additionally, while pets are authorized in most overseas locations, space available for pets is very limited and paperwork must be completed 90 days prior to the desired date of detachment from your current unit.
Also important to remember is while your dependants are encouraged to take part in the PCS workshop and the entire reassignment process, IPAC cannot work with them unless they have a power of attorney. For Marines that are departing their current station on a different date than their family, this is critical.
Moving is a wave of different emotions. The excitement of going someplace new, the sadness of leaving friends and the stress of the unknown, are all normal reactions for any service member and their family, no matter how many times they may move in their career. Nevertheless, the Marines under the charge of Brogdon are always ready to help.
IPAC can be reached Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. at 703-432-1404. And make sure to sign up for the PCS workshop offered by MCCS. The next PCS CONUS workshop will be held April 6 at 9 a.m. and the next PCS OCONUS workshop will be held April 20 at 9 a.m. Both workshops are held at Religious and Family Services Center, 3019 Embry Loop.
| Date Taken: | 03.27.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 03.27.2017 15:49 |
| Story ID: | 228203 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 61 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Attention to detail and timeliness are keys to a smooth PCS, by James Andrews, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
