The COVID-19 pandemic delayed Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves for many active-duty military families. And now, after a long year of uncertainty, many families are embarking on their PCS moves, with labor shortages affecting the availability of movers, rental trucks, and moving containers. Maj. Gen. Omar Jones, deputy commanding general of Army Installation Management Command, explained, “Many of our transportation service providers are having challenges with getting drivers, getting packers and those kinds of folks that do those services for them. That has added a whole other level of stress to what has always been already a stressful experience for our service members.”
Military Housing Association (MHA) member companies are committed to making these moves as seamless as possible and providing military families with the tools and resources to make their new house feel like home during the typically stressful PCS season.
There are some immediate steps military families can take to ensure a smooth process, including:
- Logging into the Defense Personal Property System (DPS) to upload a copy of their orders and complete shipment applications relating to their move as soon as orders are received.
- Contacting their local Transportation Office (TO) to be able to schedule a move that’s convenient. The sooner this is completed, the higher the chance the military family will have of receiving confirmation that the moving company has been booked in advance.
- MHA member companies encourage service members and their families to contact their current and future military housing company to begin the move out and move in process and answer any questions along the way.
DoD’s Personnel and Logistics communities are also encouraging service members to explore a Personally Procured Move (PPM) for PCS moves given the current moving labor shortages. Military families can find more information on PPM costs, moving tips, and moving entitlements through the DoD website here.