A full, step-by-step guide to your military move. From orders in hand to settled in your new home. No guesswork. No forgotten steps. Just a plan that works.
Here is the truth about PCS season: everyone tells you to "start early" and "make a checklist." Nobody tells you what actually goes on that checklist. Or when. Or in what order.
So you end up Googling at midnight, scrolling through Facebook groups, getting fifteen different answers, and still not sure if you've missed something critical. Meanwhile the movers are showing up in six weeks and you haven't even looked at houses yet.
That is what this guide fixes.
We built this playbook from real PCS moves. Dozens of them. Every branch, every type of move, every mistake you can make (we have made most of them). What you are holding is the plan we wish someone had handed us on day one.
Go in order. Each section builds on the last. Print it, bookmark it, share it with your spouse. And when you are ready, we are here to help you take the next step.
Let's do this.
The first 72 hours after you get orders
Research that actually matters
Rent, buy, or on-post. How to decide.
DITY, PPM, HHG. The move itself.
BAH, DLA, TLE, and the math that matters
Schools, medical, pets, spouse employment
Week-by-week checklist to moving day
What to do after you arrive
You just got orders. Your brain is already spinning. Here is exactly what to do in the first 72 hours, in this order.
Every confirmation page. Every email from TMO. Every appointment booking. The military move system is good but things slip through cracks. Your screenshots are your receipts.
Before you pick a house, you need to understand where you are going. Not the tourist version. The version that matters when you live there.
What does BAH cover? Is it a buy or rent market? What neighborhoods do military families actually live in? This changes everything.
DoDEA on post? Off-post public school ratings? Magnet programs? Start here before you pick a neighborhood. The school drives the zip code.
Which gate is closest to your unit? What does rush hour look like? Some bases have 5-minute commutes. Some have 45. Know before you sign.
Is there a hospital on post or just a clinic? Where is the nearest urgent care? Pharmacy? Behavioral health? Map it out, especially with kids.
Youth sports leagues, spouse groups, MWR programs, local parks, restaurants the locals actually go to. This is the stuff that makes a duty station feel like home.
Groceries, gas, childcare, utilities. BAH is one number. Your actual monthly cost is another. Run the real math before you commit to a price range.
This is the one that keeps people up at night. Rent, buy, or live on post? There is no universal right answer. But there is a right answer for your situation, and here is how to find it.
No down payment, no closing costs, utilities usually included, walkable to work. The trade-off: you give up your BAH, and the quality varies wildly by installation. Some on-post housing has been renovated beautifully. Some has not. Visit first if you can. Join the base Facebook group and ask real questions.
Maximum flexibility. If you are only at this station for 2 years or less, renting is almost always the smarter play. You are not losing money to closing costs, and the SCRA protects your lease if you PCS early. Look for landlords who have rented to military before. They understand the drill.
The VA loan is one of the best benefits you have. Zero down, no PMI, competitive rates. If you are going to be at a station for 3+ years, buying can make real financial sense. But run the numbers. Factor in closing costs, potential rental income if you keep it as an investment, and the reality that you might need to sell fast.
Not just any realtor. A realtor who has worked with military families, understands PCS timelines, knows VA loans inside and out, and will not waste your time showing you homes that don't fit.
That is exactly why we built our realtor matching service. We have vetted, military-focused realtors at every major duty station. They know the neighborhoods. They know the schools. They know which streets flood and which HOAs are nightmares. And they are free to you.
There are a few ways the military will move your stuff. Here is what you need to know about each one.
The government hires a moving company, they pack your stuff, load it, drive it, and deliver it. You coordinate through DPS/move.mil and your Transportation Office. The good: it is free. The bad: you do not control the timeline, and peak season delays happen. The ugly: damage claims are a real thing. Document everything. Photograph every piece of furniture before they pack it.
You move yourself and the government reimburses you based on what it would have cost them. You can pocket the difference. This can mean real money, sometimes $3,000 to $10,000 or more depending on distance and weight. The catch: you are doing the work. Renting a truck, loading, driving, unloading. Weigh your vehicle before and after. Keep every receipt.
The sweet spot for a lot of families. HHG moves the big stuff (furniture, appliances). You move the essentials yourself (clothes, documents, valuables, the stuff you do not want on a truck for three weeks). You still get reimbursed for what you move on your own.
For OCONUS moves or certain situations, the military will ship one vehicle. Book early through the Vehicle Processing Center. The timeline can be 4 to 8 weeks depending on the route.
Pack one bag per family member with 7 days of clothes, chargers, medications, important documents, snacks, and a few comfort items. This bag stays with you no matter what. If your HHG shipment gets delayed (it happens), you are not living out of a hotel with nothing for two weeks.
The military gives you money to move. But they are not great at explaining what it is, how to claim it, or when it shows up. Here is the plain English version.
This is your housing money. It is based on your rank, dependency status, and the zip code of your duty station. It varies wildly. BAH at Fort Hood is very different from BAH in San Diego. Look up your specific rate at the Defense Travel Management Office website before you start house hunting.
A one-time lump sum to help cover the costs of moving. Think deposits, temporary supplies, the random expenses that pile up when you are setting up a new home. This is paid automatically with your travel claim, but you have to file the claim.
Up to 10 days of lodging reimbursement (14 for OCONUS) while you are between homes. This covers hotels near your old station (before you leave) and new station (before you move in). Use on-post lodging (IHG hotels on base) when possible, it is usually cheaper and easier to get approved.
If you are driving, you get mileage reimbursement and per diem for meals and incidentals for each travel day. This is calculated based on the official distance between your old and new duty station, not your actual route.
The number one mistake families make is waiting weeks or months to file their travel claim. File it within 5 days of arriving at your new station. The sooner you file, the sooner you get paid. Bring every receipt, every order amendment, every TDY document. Finance offices are slow enough already. Do not give them a reason to send your claim back.
Request your kids' school records before you leave. Get official transcripts, immunization records, IEP/504 plans, and teacher contact info. Register at the new school as soon as you have an address. Most schools near military installations are used to mid-year enrollments. The School Liaison Officer on your new base is your best resource. Use them.
Transfer TRICARE. Update your PCM (Primary Care Manager). If anyone in your family has ongoing care, get a referral chain set up before you leave your current station. Request copies of all medical and dental records. Refill prescriptions to have a 90-day supply for the transition.
Get current vet records and updated rabies certificates. If you are flying, check airline pet policies (they change constantly). If you are going OCONUS, start the process 4 to 6 months out. Some countries require specific quarantine periods and blood tests. The pet shipping timeline is longer than most people think.
If your spouse works, start the job search early. Look into the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) program for companies that prioritize hiring military spouses. Check if your spouse's professional license transfers to the new state. Many states have enacted military spouse licensure reciprocity, but it varies.
Pin this to your fridge. This is your week-by-week checklist from 8 weeks out to moving day.
You made it. Boxes everywhere. Kids asking where the Wi-Fi password is. Here is what to knock out in the first month to get settled fast.
Every duty station feels weird for the first few weeks. The grocery store is in the wrong place. The roads do not make sense. You miss your old neighbors. That is normal. Give yourself 90 days before you decide how you feel about a place. Most families end up loving duty stations they dreaded on paper.
PCS With A Plan gives you duty station guides, vetted realtors, and a personalized moving checklist. All free. Built by military families, for military families.
Bookmark these. You will need them.
Book and manage your military move. Start here first.
Duty station guides, realtor matching, and your personalized PCS checklist.
Look up your exact BAH rate by rank, zip code, and dependency status.
School transition resources for military kids. Interstate compact info.
Transfer your plan, find providers, and manage coverage during your move.
Military spouse employment and career resources. Free career coaching.
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