The Husbands' Club > Dealing with the Bureaucracy
I heard a rumor that the military is really short on funds and that some families are having to pay to move themselves from
mic smith
my bad, clicked by accident.
...from one duty station to another instead of the military paying. i havent found anything official on it. has anyone heard about this?
mic smith
I haven't heard that specifically. I've heard of PCSs being delayed because of lack of funds, but I haven't heard of service members having to pay for moving expenses out of pocket.
Anyone else have info?
Thomas Litchford
I wouldn't give much credit to the rumors you've heard. The cost of a coast-to-coast PCS move would be financially devastating for those who hadn't squirreled away a substantial sum.
I do know there are some restrictions if you're PCS'ed to a nearby location. My recollection (at least as far as the USCG is concerned) is that moving expenses won't be paid if your new duty station is less than 60 miles from your current residence. For example, my wife was posted to duty in a different location in the same city, but her PCS orders did not entitle us to moving expenses. There are also weird rules that can apply if you have an accompanied OCONUS posting and dependents move back early. So it may be that the origin of the rumor is a special case.
For general info on moves this is a really good reference:
http://www.fincen.uscg.mil/HHG_files/Its_Your_Move_Sep07.pdf
It's a good summary of entitlements and the general process - and it has links to the Joint Federal Travel Regulations - which have all of the gory details if you need them.
Andrew
To follow, or not follow, that is the question.
Hey guys, I've set my first post in the "Intro" section. My wife is graduating from BCT, US ARMY in a couple of months, then I take her directly to OCS. She'll be there through March.
I am laid off work, and really have NOTHING holding me here in Florida, other than I'm going through some security training, (which costs money), to try and get some kind of update to my former skills (I'm a former cop), for when we end up moving to her permanent station. (If there is such a thing).
Anyway, she MAY or MAY NOT get weekends off in OCS. (Does anyone here know for sure???) I was thinking if I was doing something, even part time, up in her area, that it would actually save money, and I would be there for her if she did get time off.
Otherwise, I'm just hanging out in Florida. I could drive up to see her (and also get a part time job here). Bottom line though, I am just wondering if I should follow her around to her schools, OCS, and later her AIT school (she's pushing for intel...we'll see if she earns it).
Any ideas or thoughts?
Cheers
Mark
Mark Westman
I found this on an Army OCS FAQ page:
Do you get any time off during OCS?You will have MOST weekends or parts of them off. When you are released for the weekend you must be back by 2100 Sunday, lights out is 2200. Same goes for during the week. After you are released you must be back by 2100 in the barracks unless otherwise directed.
So it looks like she will get plenty of weekends off. I'm a big one for suggesting that couples go through training programs together (i.e., at least living in the same town) as much as possible. It wouldn't make sense for BCT, but OCS and AIT (or "A" school for the Navy) offer a decent amount of time off for the candidates/trainees.
If you can afford it, I'd say go. Store 90% of your stuff, sell what you don't want anymore, and take just what you need. Find a cheap small apartment, get whatever job you can, and spend as much time as possible with your wife.
My wife and I lived in separate states during her last year of college, but we moved into base housing together when she did officer training in Newport, and it was like we'd postponed our honeymoon. Not only did we get to spend a summer in Newport, but I also got to start learning about life in the Navy. I met the people (men and women) she was working with, too, and that helped put certain fears to rest.
There's going to be plenty of time once she's commissioned when you won't get to see her, so make the most of your time together, now.
Thomas Litchford
Great news for those of us who are PCSing soon - the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act has passed the House and Senate and is on the president's desk!
For those of you who don't know, this amends the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act so that spouses receive the same benefits (basically you can have the same state of residence as your spouse even if you are stationed outside your home state). This means no more post PCS trip to the DMV or changing voter registrations. Or filing state taxes in two different places.
More details here: http://www.moaa.org/controller.asp?pagename=multimedia_release_091102
and here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Military-Spouses-Residency-Relief-Act/51457362877?v=wall
I must admit I'm shocked this went through in the current legislative climate - big thank you to the MSBA, MOAA and those who must have spent hours hassling congressmen and senators to get this through.
Andrew
TriCare, PCS moves, ID cards. Share advice about navigating the red tape.