PCS moves are a minefield of potential, problems, "I wish I would've knowns," and "why did we do that's?" We want to help you avoid some of that stuff.
That's why we asked some Military.com readers who have been there and done that to weigh in with their biggest PCS mistakes. Be glad they made them ... so you don't have to.
1. Tackling the do-it-yourself move at the wrong time. We all know there’s a season for everything, and the same thing goes for moving yourself. A reader did a personally procured move (PPM) while she was six months’ pregnant. “Turns out I’m not invincible,” she said. Of course, we know that a PPM can be a great idea … sometimes.
2. Forgetting that anything can change in a moment. When the military tells you you’re moving somewhere, it certainly seems definite. But we know that can change, a lesson a reader learned when orders to Alaska changed at the last minute to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, after the household shipped their vehicle north and bought a lot of cold-weather gear.
3. Not getting a hard copy of your medical records. Sure, the clinic says your medical records will follow you to your next duty station. But the time to find they didn’t is not after you’ve already moved five states away. Avoid this by hand-carrying your records and those of your kids station to station.
4. Renting out your home from far, far away. Military families often find themselves with a rental property on their hands. Buying a home while in the military has many pros and cons, but one thing is sure: Renting it out from across the country or world is a pain.
5. Going back to work too quickly. Military spouses know that if you have the good fortune of finding a job, you should definitely not turn it down. But jumping back into work too quickly after a PCS, a reader told us, was her biggest PCS mistake.
6. Not knowing where your pets are. We asked some military movers at Fort Campbell about the weirdest thing they’d ever experienced during a pack-out. The answer? Pets, which can get accidentally boxed away.
7. Letting the movers transport the furniture parts. If all of your furniture parts go into a box that disappears, you’re in trouble. “Finding new hardware for a desk and bed is a pain,” a reader said. She wished she had taped the pieces to the furniture they belonged to.
8. Forgetting to empty the trash before pack-out. The rumors are true. If you don’t empty it first, the movers will pack your trash can with whatever is in it.
9. Putting too much faith in careful moving. Several readers told us of times they put too much faith in the movers’ ability to not break or damage their furniture or valuables. The best policy? If you really don’t want something scratched or broken, don’t own it, or leave it at your parents’ house for safe keeping.
10. Not doing enough research. A reader said she wishes she had looked for reviews on her family’s future landlord. “Just because you found them on AHRN.com doesn’t make them good businesspeople … or good people in general!” she said.
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