Pre-Move

Relocation Readiness Program

Personal Belongings

Generally, there are three options for moving your household goods:
  1. You can have the government hire a mover
  2. You can move it yourself, or
  3. You can do a combination of the two.
If you are going to or from an overseas location, you can usually only make a government move. If you choose a Government Move, the mover is responsible for all the packing, loading, moving and unloading. They will also provide all boxes, crating, and other supplies. Cost of the move is paid directly from the government to the mover. Moving yourself is called a Personally Procured Move, previously known as a DITY move. Should you choose this option, the government will pay you 95% of what a mover would have been paid for the same move. This is called your incentive payment, and it is taxable income. All of the moving costs (rental vehicle, packing materials, fuel) are paid by you. You must provide full and empty certified weight tickets, and the move must be approved in advance. You may be able to get an advance of 60% of the estimated incentive payment. Regardless of the method chosen, there is a maximum amount of weight that can be shipped or stored, based on rank and dependency status (see attached file below for more details). If going to certain overseas locations, your weight allowance may be limited. Also, shipment of larger appliances is limited. Check with your ACS Relocation Program Manager for details. If you're not allowed to ship your full weight allowance, you may be authorized storage at government expense. Contact your local transportation office for detailed information on shipping and storing your HHG. Houshold Goods Weight Allowance.jpg

Pre-Move Resources

Pre-Move Checklist
IHG Army Hotel - Temporary Lodging
AHRN.com - Off-Post Housing
Military OneSource - Plan My Move
Military OneSource - Moving

RRP Pre-Move: Frequently Asked Questions

AR 608-1 requires all Soldiers to attend an ACS Overseas briefing prior to receipt of their orders. Some installations pair this briefing with the installation DHR's "LEVY Briefing". Information covered during this briefing includes specifics about the country and culture you will be traveling to, in addition to information to help you have a smooth PCS. Spouses are highly encouraged to attend this briefing if available.
Orders:
You receive these from either your Military Personnel Division (MPD) or your S-1 shop. When receiving your orders, review them to confirm accuracy of all information, i.e. Family names are listed, weight allowances listed, and location of new duty station. Passports: Soldiers will travel with orders and Military ID Card when PCSing, including OCONUS. But if traveling with Family to an OCONUS area, all Family members will be required to have a "No Fee" passport. VISA:
This is a travel document that allows you and your Family entry into another country either for a visit or extended stay. This can be applied either prior to travel or after arrival into Host country. SOFA:
Status of Forces Agreement, is defined as the legal status of U.S. personnel and property in the territory of another nation. The purpose of such an agreement is to set forth rights and responsibilities between the United States and the host government on such matters as criminal and civil jurisdiction, the wearing of the uniform, the carrying of arms, tax and customs relief, entry and exit of personnel and property, and resolving damage claims. This is an additional stamp submitted into a Family members Passport when stationed overseas for most countries that have U.S. Military personnel. Valid U.S. Driver's License:
Make sure your current license is valid before traveling.
Hearts Apart is designed to assist Family members in making prolonged separations more bearable for those Family members left behind. Whenever a Soldier is leaving on a deployment or an unaccompanied tour of duty, the Army Community Service (ACS) staff works with command to obtain accurate contact information for the Family. Once the Family is identified, ACS makes every effort to reach the Family to assess the need for services and information, provide answers to questions with ongoing information updates and act as liaison with military and civilian organizations. ACS invites Spouses to participate in Hearts apart meetings or groups with fun-filled activities such as monthly birthday celebrations, holiday events, arts and crafts such as scrap-booking, powder puff mechanics, self-defense and much more. Hearts Apart activities will differ to meet the needs and special interest of the individuals involved, i.e., groups with many small children may tend to be child focused with emphasis on play groups while groups with more male Spouses and older children might focus on sports events and fishing. Ongoing support from ACS, as well as from old and new friends at the Hearts Apart meetings, make separations easier to handle.
Last modified: November 16, 2017 - 6:05 pm UTC