Army Wives Life: Relocating Tips for First PCS

Life as an Army wife can be difficult enough. But try adjusting to a re-location from Schofield, HI to Fort Campbell KY.... lol. It can be quite overwhelming.

Our family is getting ready to PCS for the first time in my husband's Army Career. We've been lucky enough to stay in Hawaii which is my hometown. To make things even better (sarcastically), my husband was sent to Fort Lee for several months prior to us re-locating.

So I am here in Hawaii, he is in VA, and we will meet in TN. Where do I begin to know what I'm doing?

Being in HI, trying to find a place in a city that I've never been to in my life is quite difficult. Especially when you're used to living in paradise. lol. Online there are very limited resources. Apartment hunting is worse. Most of the complexes are just that. Complex! Most of the photos online only show the outer perimeter/exterior, and of course the club house, and gym. What about the dining room, kitchen, bedrooms, and living rooms? lol.

But let's backtrack a little, and I can give you tips on what we've experienced so far.

THINGS TO KNOW
• What is the difference or surplus adjustment to your BAH (basic allowance for housing).
• FAMILY SEPARATION: If your spouse will be going ahead of you to get settled, depending on the circumstances, you can qualify for FSA (Family Separation Allowance).
• COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) caught us by surprise. Living in HI had it's benefits, and once we were re-stationed, we realized that we'd be losing almost $700 a month in pay. Be sure to know your finances, and what you can afford.


PAPERWORK to have on hand (if you're being separated from your spouse);
• Copies of all family members Birth Certificates
• Copies of your spouse's driver's license: This is something we didn't think about, but apparently, when applying for apartments in TN, they require you to provide a driver's license #.
• Social Security #'s also for application purposes
• Power of Attorney used to closed out any bank acct's, or for shipping our second vehicle
• Transportation Voucher; issued for spouse's to travel separately to the new duty station.
• School Transfer Papers, and copies of your children's previous report card
• Immunization Records
• References: If you don't know already, all past Employers, and Landlords contact phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses.
• Vehicle information: License plate number, Year, Make and Model
• Forwarding address; For all bills that haven't been closed out. But what if you don't have a forwarding address? We sure didn't. But we were fortunate enough to have family members that were able to hold our mail for us. If you don't have that luxury, look into purchasing a Post Office Box in the area you THINK you will be living.


PACKING AND MOVING
Yes, the military does hire a company to come in and pack up all of your things, and ship them. (The military will pay for your move based on the estimated weight of your household items, not to exceed the weight allowance determined by your pay grade.) However, I like to have control of the situation, and feel somewhat organized. So we pre-boxed all of our belongings that were important to us, and labeled them in bright green labels with SHIPPING and also the room in which it will be placed. i.e. KITCHEN, BATH, MSTR BED, etc. It is also recommended that you compile an inventory of household possessions and valuables, including photos and serial numbers.

The moving company was extremely ecstatic that we actually did that which cut down their moving time from a couple days down to one.


ESTIMATING shipping weight
Since this was our first move, we weren't sure how heavy our personal belongings were, so my husband estimated 5,000lbs. (MILITARY GEAR is not added to the amount of weight) According to the movers, it is better to over estimate, then to under estimate. We ended up coming in at about 3,000lbs. BUT KEEP IN MIND, WE PURGED A LOT OF THINGS and also had a Moving Sale the last weekend before moving. Just so you can understand what 3,000lbs is, here's a GENERAL list of what that may include for a family of three.

• 3 beds: 1 King and 2 Twins, OR 1 Queen 1 Double and 1 Twin
• 2 large Televisions and TV stand.
• Kitchen appliances 1 Microwave, 1 set of Pots and Pans, Tupperware, 1 8pc set of Bowls Dishes and Glasses, Eating Utensils, and Cooking Utensils. (This DOES NOT include an expensive China set or similar)
• 1 Large Sectional Sofa, OR a Sofa/Loveseat set.
• Sheets, Towels, Pillow Cases, 3 comforters, Blankets and Pillows.
• 3 Large Wardrobes; Between my husband, myself, and our son, we all have a lot of clothes
• Entertainment: 2 medium boxes that include any or all of the following: CD's, Video Games, DVD's, Game consoles, DVD Players.
• 1 bin each of: Toys, Books, Sporting Goods, Printers, and Scanners.
• 3 Desktop lamps, OR 2 tall Halogen Lamps.
• Wall Art, and photo frames

Things we purged at our Moving Sale included our dining set, Bar Chairs, Computer desk, Office Chair, Bar Chairs, lots of clothes and shoes, Books, Toys, DVDs, Video Games, etc.

PREPARATIONS FOR FAMILY MEMBERS
• Working spouses should update their resume and start job hunting prior to their move. I've done some inquiries online through craigslist.
• Medical Checkups, physicals, etc. We do not have pets, but if you do, Take pets to the vet and obtain health certifications and medical records. IF YOU ARE RELOCATING TO Hawaii, there are strict rules, that will require your cat or dog to be Quarantined for 120 days.
• Insurance; Our car insurance company did not do nationwide coverage, and was not able to transfer our policy from HI to TN, so we decided to switch to USAA to cover our auto, and renters insurance. They are nationwide, and specifically cater to military families. So fortunately, we will not have to go through all of this again when my husband is PCS'd to a different location.
• Get a nationwide banking account if you don't already have one.
• Notify your job, and landlord of your move
• Notify all utility companies of your end of service date, and obtain a forwarding kit from the post office.


Throughout my journey, I will be tracking the progress, and posting tips for other military families that are also confused about the process of re-locating. If you are currently at Fort Campbell, and have any suggestions, please feel free to comment or email me at designer@tionitaylor.com. All the advice can really help us out. Thank you