PCS – Checklist Before PCS orders: Do the following
- Attend Levy Briefing – You will receive a notification from Reassignment Office to attend this briefing. Anti-terrorism briefing/training should be conducted right after the levy briefing and a copy of the certificate needs to be brought to levy before PCS orders are published
- If PCS overseas and you have dependents – Request Command Sponsor for Family members. This can be requested at the Levy briefing
- If PCS overseas and you have Family members – Complete mandatory EFMP screening and request passports for all Family members
- If PCS overseas – contact Passenger Travel for information on airline travel and shipment of pets
- If you have pets, have them checked by a local vet, and be sure that all vaccinations and inoculations are up to date. Obtain a coph of your pet's medical records. This is important for overseas travel.
- Make appointment for a counseling session with an ACS Relocation Specialist to obtain an information packet to your new duty station. If you have any issues or question regarding your move, request assistance from the relocation specialist.
- Decide whether you want to make a DITY (conus) move, or have the government handle everything for you.
- If PCS overseas - Submit EFMP requirements to Family Travel
- Discuss the moving process with your children to overcome their fear of relocating.
- Notify your landlord you will be moving, but do not give him or her an exact date right now.
- If PCS overseas – get information on shipping POV
- Contact the Department of Motor Vehicle at your new location for information on a new driver's license and registration.
- If PCS overseas – make sure drivers license is current.
- If you have a car, truck or auto, be sure that all maintenance and repairs are taken care of now. Must have your proof of insurance for the car.
- If PCS overseas – make sure auto insurance is valid in overseas location. Get an official letter from the lien holder to take to the shipping port allowing you to ship the POV overseas
- Make an inventory of possessions and valuable items (take pictures or video tape). Get appraisals for antiques or collections
- Start organizing personal records like birth certificates, insurance papers, school records, marriage certificates and important documents.
- Make a list of whom to notify concerning your move and forwarding address.
- Take care of necessary medical, optical or dental appointments. Obtain your records or find out how to forward them later.
- Have Power of Attorney or Letter of Authorization drawn up for unforeseen circumstances.
- Go through closets and drawers to sort through clothes and other items to give away or sell.
- If you live on post – Contact your Community Housing area and request information on pre-clearing housing and final clearing
- Start saving for non-reimbursable moving expenses.
- If you have a military ID card, check the expiration date and update it if necessary.
- Notify your credit card companies of your new or temporary address if known at this time.
- Call gaining installation housing office to get information for on/off post housing. You can get information for off post housing by visiting www.ahrn.com
- Contact Medical provider to get information on medical records and shot records
- Contact Schools to get information on school records/files for children
- Call temporary lodging at the gaining installation to get information on a reservation – but don’t reserve room until you have your PCS orders with your reporting date.
- If possible, settle all your outstanding bills.
- Cancel all local deliveries and services, such as newspapers and diaper service.
- Retrieve all items you have loaned out.
- Retrieve any developed film, dry cleaning or other items.
- Send out change-of-address cards to the post office, your friends, relatives and magazines.
- Plan menus from what you have remaining in the freezer and cabinets.
- Clean up your current living space or quarters.
- Renew and pick up any necessary prescriptions. Obtain prescription slips in case you need refills on the road. Pack medicine in leakproof, spillproof containers.
- If you are an active servicemember making use of military weight allowances, separate your profesional books, papers and equipment (PBP&E). These items will be weighed and listed separately on your shipping inventory. Make sure the packers know these are your professional items -- their weight will not be counted into your weight allowance.
PCS: Checklist After PCS orders received: Do the following
- Read PCS orders very carefully – If you are a married Soldier and or have dependents ensure PCS Orders state "Dependents, Yes" if you have full or primary custody of children. Check Orders for "Concurrent Travel" if housing is readily available and "Deferred Travel" if housing is not readily available for overseas location.
- Take copies of PCS order to Transportation Office. Make an appointment with Personal Property to attend Transportation Briefing and schedule appointment for packing of household goods. Request advance for DITY at Transportation Briefing if you decide to do a DITY rather than the government move.
- Contact Passenger Travel if PCS overseas to make airline reservation and shipping pets
- Contact Housing to schedule date for final inspection
- Reconfirm your packing, pick-up and delivery dates with your mover. Transportation Office will provide you this information if government is doing the move.
- Request PCS leave form (DA Form 31) from your Commander
- Request Permissive TDY leave – if allowed by the unit. If not permissive TDY may be requested at the gaining unit.
- Attend Pre-clearance briefing as soon as orders are received or 14 days prior to signing out of Fort Campbell. Briefings are held at In & Out Processing Center every day except Thursday, holidays and DONSA. Bring your unit clearance record (DA form 137-1). 5 Copies of orders and amendments. 3 Copies of leave form (DA form 31). Finance requires completed DA 31. Request PCS finance travel pay and DLA in advance.
- 5 Days after attending Pre-clearance Briefing – Pick up 0900 – 1230 Mon-Fri installation clearance record (DA form 137-2). The Mandatory CIF appointment is scheduled by the Out-processing automated system. The pre-printed clearance papers require you to clear only those agencies not cleared through the automated system
- Pick up passports for Family Members from Family Travel
- Pick up airline tickets from Passenger Travel
- Check your account to make sure finance entitlement has been deposited.
- Request a sponsor from your gaining unit
- Final Clearance usually one day prior to final departure date from 0900-1115 and 1200-1545 Monday to Friday.
Make sure when you final clear to have the following with you in your possession;
- Military Personnel File (MPF)
- PERSTEMPO Print out -
- Medical/Dental Records
- Port Call tickets if PCS overseas
- 4036R/Current Proof of AIDS Test – if PCSing Overseas
- Antiterrorism Threat Briefing Memo- if PCSing overseas
- Promotion Packet – promotable E4 & E-5 – Unit S1 or Bldg 2578
- PT Card – if TDY en-route PCS to school
- Tape Test – as needed in addition to PT Card
- Family Care Plan – as needed
On the final days before the move, be sure to do the following:
- Separate items that will not be packed, including suitcases. If more than one shipment, separate items per each shipment into groups.
- Ship as "unaccompanied baggage" items that will help you set up housekeeping at your new address immediately, such as linens, dishes, etc. This is only for overseas locations. Unaccompanied baggage will be shipped first.
- Keep a household inventory list on hand to carry with your personal luggage.
- Make a complete inventory of all the boxes you will have moved to your new location -- you will need to check this later after you move in.
- Attach colored stickers to your boxes to correspond with rooms in your new home where you want your boxes to go. If you are using movers, prepare a color-coded map of your new house, so they'll know exactly where to take your belongings.
- Make sure that cash, jewelry, important documents, your checkbook and other valuable items are secure and placed with the suitcases and other items you are hand-carrying yourself. Do not ship jewelry.
- If you are renting a truck or other vehicle for your move, check it over to make sure everything is running properly.
- Make sure the condition of belongings is accurately noted. If anything is marked "scratched, dented or soiled" also note the location of such problem.
- Confirm child care and pet arrangements if necessary.
- Clean and dry refrigerator and freezer. Allow to dry one or two days with doors propped open. Note: Families with children or pets present should block the doors from accidentally closing. To avoid a musty odor you can place several charcoal briquettes in a stocking or sock in both the freezer and refrigerator compartment.
- Discard partly-used cans and containers of substances that might leak.
- Carefully tape and place in individual waterproof bags any jars of liquid you plan to take with you.
- Remove outside TV and radio antennas.
- Remove air conditioners from windows.
- Remove pictures and mirrors from walls.
- If you have a clock with a pendulum, remove the pendulum. If you are on base housing, you may need third-party authorization to do this, so call your local personal property shipping office if you feel you require this type of service.
- Disconnect gas and electrical appliances. Moving companies are NOT required to perform the disconnect or to reconnect at the destination address.
On the day of the move, be sure to do the following:
- Get up early and be ready for movers to arrive. Do not have dirty dishes in the kitchen, or dirty clothes in hampers or lying around the house. Take all trash out of the residence.
- Have coffee, cold drinks and snacks for yourself (and packers if you wish). This is going to be a very long day ...
- Be sure that you or someone assisting in your move is at home at all times -- military and most regular moves are conducted during normal business hours.
- Make sure cash, jewelry, important documents, checkbook and other valuable items are secure (put them in the trunk of your car along with your suitcases and what ever else you take with you). Do not ship jewelry.
- Get pets under control before movers arrive. If necessary, ask a neighbor to keep them for you if you haven't made boarding arrangements.
- Double-check closets, drawers, shelves, the attic and garage to be sure you have packed everything.
- Have a marker handy to make extra notes on boxes.
- If you are hand-carrying any boxes with you, be sure to mark "DO NOT MOVE" on them clearly.
- Carry a box of "basics" you'll need on move-in day (i.e., tools, paper products, housecleaning supplies, emergency kits, etc.).
- Verify that mover's inventory is detailed, complete and accurate. Do not accept any "miscellaneous" labels or entries (especially on high value items).
- Watch loading and unloading, and examine all items carefully before signing a receipt.
- Make sure the condition of belongings is accurately noted. If anything is marked "scratched, dented, or soiled" also note the location of such entries.
- If the military is taking care of your move, be sure to obtain a copy of the GBL, the DD-619 (if CONUS), and the Household Goods Inventory from the packers before they leave the residence. Ensure the inventory reflects the true condition of the property, and be certain everything is listed on the inventory. Review it carefully and keep a copy with other important records you are hand-carrying.
- Check the entire house before releasing the packers, to make sure that nothing is left behind which needs to be moved.
The packers are not required to return to the residence after they have been released.
- Leave all the old keys that are needed by the new tenant or owner with your realtor or a neighbor.
- Carry cash, credit/debit cards for quick, available funds. You should have enough to cover the cost of moving services and expenses until you are settled in.
- Hand-carry all important documents; finance, medical and dental records and PCS orders.
When you arrive at your destination, be sure to do the following:
- You should have the telephone number of the transportation office at your new duty station. You should contact the office as soon as possible, and provide them with a phone number where the member or designated representative may be reached.
- Once you find a place to live contact Transportation Personal Property, to arrange for delivery of household goods.
- Arrange for phone, gas, and electricity to be connected.
- Check the pilot lights on the stove, water heater, incinerator and furnace.
- If you are moving to a new state, register your car and get a new driver's license as soon as possible.
- Connect with medical services in your new location, such as doctors, dentists, etc.
- Before the moving van arrives, clean the hard-to-reach places in your new residence.
- When the movers arrive, check their inventory against the one you made prior to departure -- they should match.
- Register your children in school.
- Connect with medical serives in your new location, such as doctors, dentists, etc.
- Know in advance where to place each piece of furniture. The mover is required to place each piece only one time.
- At time of delivery, you are entitled to the reassembly of all items that were disassembled by the carrier. In addition, you are entitled to have everything unpacked, with packing materials removed from the residence, unless you specifically waive this service.
- If the military is taking care of your move, and you discover that you are missing some items or items have been damaged in transit, you must list these items on your DD Form 1840. You should ensure that three legible copies of this form are received. This is not a claim, only a record of loss or damage. Any additional loss or damage discovered after the carrier has completed delivery should be noted on the reverse side of DD Form 1840, which is DD Form 1840R.
- Contact ACS to obtain a welcome packet with a local directory, maps and other important information for newcomers.