I've been in the Marine Corps for 7 yrs now and I'm doing my first PCS move to a Recruiting station in Tyler, Texas. To be honest I've never been more lost or confused and nervous all at the same time. I dont know the difference between the moves. I dont even know the steps I should take in order to get it done properly. I graduate Recruiters school on Dec 15th and have to report to my station on Jan 15th. I'm trying to not move between Christmas and New Years. Also, my 5 yr old starts school up again on Jan 2nd. I can't move into the home I'm renting until Jan 1st. I know this is a lot of info but if anyone can help me, I would really appreciate it. Thanks
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JarheadinUSMC,
Thanks so much for reaching out to us with your question.
PCS can definitely be overwhelming but you're not alone and there is a lot of information out there to get you organized and ready for your move.
First: The differences in the moves.
- TMO move. This move requires little effort on your part. To set this move up, you'll have to contact your TMO office and request the date you'd like to move. They'll organize a packing team to come to your house, pack up your entire household (minus a few items such as, opened seasonings, plants, opened detergents, cleaning liquids...) They'll move your household goods to your new location and unpack them for you, they'll even help set up your furniture for you, if need be. In my opinion, most military families prefer this option to PCS because it helps eliminate a lot of the stress that comes with moving every 3 to 4 years.
- DITY move. This move requires a lot more effort on your part but this move will also provide you with the option to bank more money for your PCS. You'll have to pack up, move, unpack and set up your household by yourself. However, the military will cover the cost of your move depending on your rank and weight limits provided to you by your TMO office. You get to bank more money because people find creative and cheaper ways to move their furniture and car(s) then keep the left over money you'll get from moving. A lot of people use this option when moving across the country. Of course if you're moving out of the US or to Hawaii, this option would not be available to you.
My advice to you would be to start the paperwork process as soon as possible. Contact your CO about where your TMO office is and what offices are available to you for PCSing.
Feel free to check our past posts regarding PCS:
There's a great deal of helpful info and tips from these posts.
You can also go to http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/, scroll down to the bottom left side of the page to the Military Installations tab, type in your base info. There should be a complete listing of all the offices from your base as well as the offices available at the base you'll be going to so you can start the housing and moving process from now.
If you're planning on going on the list for housing at the new base, you can use your orders to be placed on the waiting list from now so you'll have a better option to get into housing by the time you check in at your new base.
As far as transitioning for your child. Most bases and schools go above and beyond making sure the transition from schools and housing is as smooth as possible. The base you're currently stationed at should have a school liaison that you can set up a meeting with to discuss the school options available to you and your child at the next base. You should be able to get info and paperwork started on getting your child registered ahead of time.
I hope we were able to answer your question. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us. We appreciate your support. Thank you so much for your dedication and sacrifice to this country.
