Government Moves

Congress began a program called the Relocation Program which is a congressionally mandated program that is designed to eliminate or decrease the stress related to moving. This is great because let’s face it, moving is stressful, but military moves can be even more so as you are usually going to a place that may not have been by choice. There is a higher chance that when you have to make the move, you will know absolutely nothing about the duty station and community you are going to.

The Relocation Program is designed to proved info about your new duty station and area, moving costs, local housing available both on base and off, child care availability, spousal employment, and overall management of the emotional stresses that accompany any move. Counseling is available for the topics of financial management, finding new housing, stress management, and shipping and storing of your household goods (HHG).

There are three options you have when moving within the Continental US. Today we are covering a full government move. In other words, the government takes care of moving your HHG for you.

First of all, you need to find out from your installation housing office what allowances you have when it comes to moving. Do not assume that you have all or even any of the allowances available. Once that is done, you will want to contact the Transportation office in order to schedule your move date. http://www.move.mil/ is the DoD’s worldwide moving website. This website is where all moving transactions in the military are handled. You can manage your move through this website by working through your allowances, booking your shipment, tracking your shipment, and filing claims after your move is complete.

Pros of this type of move are: less stress, no packing, no renting of a moving van, no loading or unloading of boxes and furniture.

Cons of this type of move are: broken/lost items from shipping/storage (however, reimbursement does occur for broken/lost items), the time frame for shipment to arrive can be a while (for example: wait time could be as long as two months or more).

*note: if you are like me and have collected a lot of fragile family heirlooms, in the shipment of these items you take a chance that they may arrive damaged- options for this topic will be discussed in two weeks.

What’s included?

• HHG- household goods are items associated with the home and all personal effects belonging to a member and dependents on the effective date of the member’s PCS or temporary duty order.


• Professional books, papers, and equipment
  Spare privately owned vehicle parts and a pickup tailgate when removed, seats, tops, winch, spare tires, portable gas cans, other hardware- this does not include a spare vehicle!


• Golf carts, motorcycles, mopeds, jet skis, hang gliders, snow mobiles, these items’ trailers, boats and single occupant ultralight vehicles for recreation or sport purposes. (there are weight limits so make sure you check them out if you have these items).

What’s not included?

• Personal baggage carried free on an airplane, bus, or train


• Motor vehicles


• Airplanes (wish I was that lucky!), mobile homes, camper trailers, and farming vehicles


• Live animals


• Building materials and cordwood


• Items for resale, disposal, or commercial use rather than personal use


• Privately owned ammunition

Future postings will cover DITY moves (when you move yourself), partial DITY moves, and overseas moves. If you have any questions, feel free to comment on under this posting, and good luck!

*A great website to visit when preparing to move or involved with the military is http://www.cinchouse.com/. This website is dedicated to spouses of military members.