Moving questions (military)

[peggyfromwastate]

We will definitely be moving this summer- orders haven't been cut but it's pretty much a sure thing since Dh has signed the GME contract which says he's going to Stanford. Regardless, we aren't staying here...

Dh finishes residency on June 15. He is supposed to report to duty in Stanford (first day of work) on July 1. The kids finish school on June 12. Cali school starts earlier than here- August 14 or something like that. So it is a short summer for them.

I was thinking that I would hang back here with the kids so that they can do the swim season. BUT if we sell the house and the buyer wants to move in before I want to move out, we are moving. This is a big swim season for Steven because he wants to set all the records on the neighborhood team, but oh well. He has 1 record from this past year for his age group! Let's not get greedy.

Anyway, my ideal would be:

Dh moves over by himself driving across the country, partial DITY. He leaves on/about June 20.

Movers come to get all our stuff out of the house sometime in the last week of June... Assuming it takes them about 6 weeks to deliver (??) and assuming Dh can get us into some military housing on the 1 little installation near to Stanford. They have about 100 or so units that would fit our family (sort of) but since there's not a base there anymore (just military housing) I think we have a decent shot of getting a house. So, if the movers come let's say July 1, the stuff would be delivered to the new house by August 10 or so.

The kids and I hang out here until the end of Swim Season. No all stars because that's too late, but that's OK. All stars meet is the start of August. We drive off the week of July 25 and go straight to Cali. Partial DITY on the stuff we fit in the car? Or not? IDK... Yes I realize that we'd be living out of suitcases and camping out in our house for a few weeks from when the movers take everything to when we arrive. That's OK. I think we'd just donate the air mattresses to Salvation Army if the Suburban is filled to the brim, which it would be.

OR!!! DD the teen and I just drive the fully loaded suburban across the country and my mom can take the other kids (11, 11, 8, and 4) back to her house on the airplane for a week. That would be my choice, but my mom hesitates to take on any responsibility like that. Maybe I can talk my dear sister into taking a week off work to watch MY kids for a change lol.

So, either way the Suburban would pull into Cali on or about August 1. Then hopefully the movers would come to bring all the stuff and move us in.

This plan (I know it is sure to fail on so many levels-- my little adorable house of cards) would allow the kids and I to finish out the neighborhood swim team, Kate to have more time with her friends, and would allow Dh to "settle in" lol for a while before we get there. And hopefully find us a place to live if the military doesn't have an opening in the6 weeks or so from when he can submit paperwork to get on the wait list and when we arrive there.

So, before you start shooting down my plan in the many many places where it can be shot down, I have a couple of basic questions:

Travel Reimbursements-

Do I get reimbursed to drive across the country with the kids according to TDY rates if I am not traveling with Dh? This could be thousands of dollars, and while I love my son's desire to set records, I can just buy him a big trophy with some of the cash and call it good.

Can dh apply for housing before he's actually there at the duty station? Can he apply as soon as he gets his orders? It's very confusing on the housing installation's website, and most changeovers happen July1 anyway so I'm not sure getting on a list "early" would make a huge difference... Never lived on base before... And this place is not really a base, it's more like a housing installation for military personnel stationed in the San Francisco area. Do we need to physically move into the house for Dh to take occupancy of it? If we come a month later would that cause problems?

How long does it REALLY take the movers to transport your stuff? We're going from DC metro area to San Francisco, so it's pretty far...

Also, we need medical care constantly-- does the care stay with me and the kids where we are living-- or does the DEERS program automatically reassign us to a different region based on Dh's orders?

Anyway, I know these are ridiculously specific questions but all I'm hitting on google is stuff about my kids' emotional well being and what not. Not very specific info for me, so if you have any directions as to where to go to ask some of these questions I'd appreciate it! Dh isn't really going to be able to figure out any of this stuff I'm afraid...

Nevermind if someone wants to move into our house before Dh finishes residency for instance. Then we'd have to look for some furnished place or just finish school early and bunker down in my mom's house for a month, which she would totally love.

[DCJenn]

1) He can go on the housing list as soon as he has orders. The housing office will have recieved copies of the orders of everyone moving out, too. They're pretty coordinated with that stuff.

2) YOU need to meet with the moving office if possible, rather than Mac. Sometimes they send estimators, sometimes they don't but it's better if the person who actually knows whats in the house coordinates. I've been able to do it w/out power of attorney, too.

3) The movers will likely want to move your stuff earlier than July 1. They come once. Period. They will tell you what day they're coming, and what day to expect your stuff. I would make sure your kids are out of the house while everything is being packed. Once the packing is done, they load the vans. When your stuff gets to you depends on where you are on the van. You'll be loaded with families who are also headed to that general part of the world. We've been loaded with as many as four other families.

4) Keep copies of everything. Everything. I've heard horror stories of people who had to repay the military because they didn't have copies of their paperwork proving how much stuff they had. We have an entire file drawer of move paperwork w/ copies of the orders filed by date.

5) They will pay for the military to move, period. If that means 3 cars or one car- it's just that one person. You can request it in advance, though which is nice. (well, HE can request it in advance) As the saying goes, if the military wanted them to have spouses, they'd issue them.

You are way, way, way too far out to stress about this yet. He won't even get his orders until April or May. THEN he/you meet with the travel office. THEN you get the dates for the packers/movers. Also, he can't do a DITY and a full move- it's one of the other. He'll move his stuff and then the military will move the rest of the stuff. There's no partial. He will be compensated for the move though and it's a sweet chunk of change. (that's what you can submit for in advance.) I think we got $3600 just for the move from DC (this July- the return from fellowship). Nice.

Jenn

[peggyfromwastate]

When we moved out here we were given a daily allowance for the drive-- the kids and I got something like 20$ a day each and he got something like $90 a day. That was for food and lodging. Plus we got reimbursed gas/mileage on our car. 1 car I think. We did a full dity so that may be the difference here.

If I'm catching your drift-- they will reimburse for the entire move in one big check and we are responsible to get ourselves from point a to point b? It will all be accounted for in the big check then? I always thought there was extra money for moving the people too-- like they would pay for either a plane ticket for each person or the cost of the drive (mileage, per down allowance).

Confusing.

[DCJenn]

We always just get the big fat check a couple weeks after we get there. Maybe they pay for the extra people- I don't know though- we have always moved together (ergo sharing the hotel room he would have had anyway) or it's been just him. I don't think they'll pay for you to move weeks after he gets there but maybe? Did you get the advance when you moved there? Maybe that's the difference.

The big fat check at the end is (according to my husband) always bigger than what they'll advance you which is why we've always done it that way. I've never done a DITY either- too old and too much stuff.

Jenn

[peggyfromwastate]

Yes I looked up the rates and you get per diem etc etc. They give a prorated value for kids and wife-- I just read about it on about.com. I'm not sure about the separation thing though. I guess I will find out later on!!

[DCJenn]

Yeah, dont sweat it yet! You have the holidays to get through before Big Move Planning needs to start!

J.

[peggyfromwastate]

Well... Did some research. Very illuminating. There is a PDF of about 616 pages or so describing the ins and outs of moving! LOL. Anyway, to move separately from each other actually pays a little more (but then again you have to book extra hotel rooms, etc. etc.). They call it "non-concurrent moves" and from what I can tell it's not a big deal. Most of this is in reference to OCONUS moves, though. Non-concurrent moves stateside are less common. Usually it has to do with lack of housing on the gaining base's end.

I think we can do a non-concurrent move though. Which is what I'd want to do regardless bc Dh can book it much faster than the "women and children" and I'd like him to be there to "set up" and deal with submitting paperwork to get on base housing. If he can't get anything on base, I'd have to fly out and try to set something up myself, then fly home and pack up the kids, etc., etc. My mom will probably be able to be here for a few weeks at least. Sounds like there are a lot of unknowns about the moving process- and then the unknown unknowns too. LOL. REadiing the military jargon makes it uber clear where Rummy came up with that phrase...

Anyway, you also get a DLA when you move. Did you get that? I'm not sure what his orders were since he went off on his 1 year dealy-- if your BAH changed to DC area though (which I'm guessing) he should've gotten a DLA for moving back to you guys. That would've been a BIG chunk of change. You should ask him, just for kicks. *Honey, did you remember to submit paperwork for the DLA?* Honestly I don't understand the DLA really, but from what I can tell it's to reimburse you when you move under PCS orders. Pretty much only the enlisted without dependents who move straight into barracks don't get it. I mean, that's in keeping with the general "screw the grunts" attitude right?

I'm trying not to stress, but when I have a question I'm just restless until I get some answers. And the computer makes it so damn easy to research lol.

Now on to stressing about selling the house lol.

Dh is gone to his stupid conference (which is great, really, but I would've liked to know it was coming with more than 8 days lead time...) so I am stressing about just about everything.

Good times.

[DCJenn]

Our BAH did change to DC- that was a painful readjustment when he came home! I get why the enlisted guys on base don't get it though- they don't really want them in civilian housing. It would be worse than college students living in off campus housing in some ways! Cool about the nonconcurrent moves- makes sense that it's mostly OCONUS though. We got the DLA- it's all combined in w/ the per diems and other moving expenses. It's SWEET!

I think in lots of ways moving with the military is so much easier than having to deal with the civilian side of life. It's all done, paid for, with packers. And mightily insured.

J.

[peggyfromwastate]

Yep...

But still moving sucks.

[DCJenn]

which is why they will pry my hands off my doorframe for anywhere other than Germany...

J.

[Meenah]

Peggy, would you post or send me a link of the PDF for moving? Caroline and her husband are leaving Seattle in two months and she has alot of questions about the move. This is their first time to move with the Army.

[peggyfromwastate]

Sure! I will say that the PDF isn't exactly illuminating though!! But I get it-- research! It definitely helps to know the terms before you meet with the travel office ppl.

Jenn knows the ins and outs of the movers. I've never done that part before- looking forward to having actual movers!!

[peggyfromwastate]

This was a really good overview of the process:

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/trave...titlements.htm

This was good info about the DLA specifically:

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/faqdla.cfm

And this is the PDF of the process which never quite loads completely for some reason. If something refers to a certain chapter or statute, they are probably referring to this monster.

http://www.gahro.com/agr%20documents...%20Members.pdf

That PDF is huge though- and all in militareze. I'm not sure how I stumbled across it... Probably from some military spouse forum where the specific paragraph someone had asked about PCSing was copied directly from this pdf.

The militaryspouse.com forum has a whole section on PCSing, too.

Everyone says the travel office will walk you through it, and MAMC has a really good rep for being very helpful. People from Washington are super efficient, helpful, nice, lalala!!! HAha

Anyway captain's course is a Big Deal and I'm really excited for his career-- but it's another move and I'm sad that she's having to leave behind the great friends she has there...

[DCJenn]

The travel office people are fantastic- they do nothing but coordinate moves so they should be. The movers are always nationally known moving companies- usually Mayflower. The local people can be the problem- the packers- (remember my cat) so my advice is to NEVER leave the packers unattended. Have all children and pets removed from the home that day. Accept that the coffee carafe from the coffee maker will not end up with the coffee maker itself. (why? because it was packed with all of the glass, which makes sense if you didn't drink coffee) The movers themselves- the loaders and drivers are usually really, really nice. One guy we had always took his motorcycle with him so he could spend his evenings touring the areas he was sent. Same guy always took one of his kids with him each summer to see the country.

Jenn

[peggyfromwastate]

Yes I remember your cat!!!