Summer moves: PCS tips from TMO

Photo By Senior Airman Kevin Sommer Giron | Permanent Change of Station Tips (U.S. Air Force graphic by Airman 1st Class Kevin Sommer Giron)  

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, ARKANSAS, UNITED STATES

04.24.2017

Story by Airman 1st Class Kevin Sommer Giron 

19th Airlift Wing

While a military move can’t technically start without orders, people can plan ahead to make the move easier. The peak personal property moving season – May to August – is quickly approaching, the property office encourages everyone to start proactively planning their move.

When first notified of a permanent change of station assignment, immediately visit the Defense Personal Property System, or DPS, website at http://www.Move.mil and create an account, if one hasn’t already been established. The DPS website provides an abundance of information covering a variety of relocation topics. The majority of service members can use this site to set-up and manage their personal property shipment(s).

DPS Website Topics include:
• Personally Procured Move information
• Department of Defense service policies for personal property moves
• Transportation office locator
• Loss and damage claims filing information
• Authorized weight allowance table

First, validate your weight allowance using the table in the It’s Your Move pamphlet located on Move.mil or Plan My Move by visiting https://apps.militaryonesource.mil. On this site, there are basic entitlement information, shipment estimating tools and do’s and don’ts info help service members from incurring personal debt due to excess costs.

Once orders are loaded, the service member can schedule his move online using Move.mil or immediately contacting the installation transportation management office, or TMO. Being proactive will maximize the potential of receiving desired move dates. If the person moving is a retiree, separated service member or a first-time mover, he or she must contact your local installation transportation office to receive one-on-one counseling. The counselor will provide a detailed explanation of entitlements and Transportation Service Providers (TSP) performance requirements. During this time, it’s important to seek as much information as possible and ask any question necessary for clarification of a specific circumstance.

Remember, May through August are the busiest months for personal property shipments. Prepare early and be as flexible as possible by identifying alternate dates for packing and pick-up of personal property. Additionally, never schedule a pick-up or delivery on the same date you will be vacating or gaining access to your residence. Also, don’t schedule two different shipments for pick-up or delivery on the same day. Any conflicts that cause the person moving to be unavailable during the agreed upon pickup or delivery date will be billed to the member, not the military.

Once the movement date(s) is/are confirmed, the TSP will contact the member to conduct a pre-move survey. Make sure to ask for this at least five days prior to the initial pack date. Expect one pack day for every 4,000 pounds of estimated weight. One way to estimate how much weight you have is roughly average 1,000 pounds per fully furnished room.

To ensure your pack and pick-up dates go smooth:
• Clean the residence and furniture
• Unplug appliances, remove pictures from walls and move items from crawl spaces
• Separate pro-gear from the rest of your personal property; ensure the TSP annotates it on your inventory. If documented at time of pick-up, pro-gear does not count against your authorized weight entitlement.
• Safeguard passports, luggage, etc. and remove unused/unwanted items lying around the house. If items are not separated, the movers will pack items you didn’t intend to ship.

Claims for personal property loss and/or damage can also be filed via Move.mil. Military members and DOD employees have 75 days from their property-delivery date to initiate their claim. If there are issues settling a claim, contact the service-specific claims office. Information can be located at http://www.move.mil/dod/claims_css/dod_claims.cfm.

Key Claims Information:
• File directly with TSP
• If an agreement cannot be reached on the monetary value between the member and TSP, or you discover additional damage at a later date, contact your service claims office for mediation and/or assistance

Personally Owned Vehicle (POV)
For detailed information on shipping or storing a POV, visit the Vehicle Processing Center website at https://www.pcsmypov.com. Appointments are not required to turn in a POV. However, in order to avoid lengthy wait times, it’s recommended to schedule an appointment on the website: https://www.pcsmypov.com/turnin.

For any additional questions or concerns regarding a PCS move, call [phone] or [phone] or email [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 04.24.2017
• Date Posted: 07.31.2017 10:51
• Story ID: 242933
• Location: LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, ARKANSAS, US