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10 Places You Must Find When You First Get To Your New Military Duty Station

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Military Duty Station

10 Places You Must Find When You First Get To Your New Military Duty Station

The day after we flew into Germany my husband had to go to work. He left about 5am in the morning. I was so tired that day and the world seemed like a dream. Jet lag is no joke and I was going through it with my 18-month-old. I wanted to get out and explore but I was a bit nervous about doing so. Imagine my surprise when my husband got home that night and told me the Commissary was just a short walk from our apartment.

When you first move to a new duty station, everything is going to be new. Even if you have lived on a military base before, you don’t know your new one yet.

Here are 10 places you should find when you first get to your new military duty station.

1. The Commissary- You are going to want to know where you can buy groceries at your new duty station. If you are in the US, you will be able to get American food off-post as well. If you are stationed overseas, you probably won’t and you will want to know where to go to get it. Once you figure that out you should explore local groceries because you can find some fun regional foods there to add to your weekly shopping.

2. The PX- The PX/BX is like a Walmart but on a military post and tax-free. They have furniture, snacks, drinks, clothing, toys and more. Find out where the PX is and if there is more than one. Our first duty station had a small PX and a PXextra in a different location.

3. The Library- Finding the library is a good idea. You can get things set up so you can check out books and if you have kids you can find out about story time or any programs they might offer. Most duty stations have one and then you should also see what the local off-post community has to offer as well.

4. The Chapel- If you are religious you are going to want to find the chapel. They might offer other programs such as MOPS, PWOC, and Awanas. Some chapels also offer a VBS in the summer time. Chapels don’t just have Protestant Christian services but provide worship times for a variety of religious beliefs.

5. ACS- ACS stands for “Army Community Service.” ACS provides a lot for people getting ready for a deployment, during deployment and post-deployment. They can also offer you information on FRGs, education, financial advice, relocation information and volunteer opportunities. The ACS will also host a lot of events. ACS is a great resource for those who are brand new to the military as well as those who have been in a long time. Although this program is for the Army, there should be similar programs with different names for each branch.

6. MWR- MWR stands for “Morale, Welfare, and Recreation.” They are a quality of life program for Soldiers and their families. They provide a lot of activities for kids, CYS which is the affordable childcare program, lodging, libraries, entertainment and other events. It would be a great idea to follow their page on Facebook if they have one so you can hear about the events that they have going on. The MWR is a great way to find things to do that can help you meet other people at your new duty station.

7. Your Spouse’s Unit- This is a must. Learn where your spouse goes to work. Learn the unit and a general idea of what they do. When you don’t know this information, it can confuse things. There are reasons you will have to go to the unit and it is best to know where that is. Your FRG meetings might be there too.

8. Parks- Parks are important. Most military installations have them. Find them and enjoy what they have to offer. This is especially true when you have kids. Find the local parks and save your sanity.

9. The Hospital or Clinic- You will need to know where to go in case of emergency as well as when you need to go to an appointment. Learn where to go, where to park and when you have to go there you will know what to do.

10. Restaurants- Some military posts have more restaurants that others. There should be some fast food near the PX. There might be a few stand-alone places. The best restaurants on post where when we lived in Germany. We had an amazing German bakery and a restaurant that served German food. These places are great to go and meet your spouse on their lunch break.

When you first pcs somewhere, there is going to be a learning curve. You will need to take the time to find out where things are. Have fun with it and enjoy your new location.

Where is the first place you like to find when you are at a new duty station?

Getting PCS Orders to a Place You Really Don’t Want to Go

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Getting PCS Orders to a Place You Really Don't Want to Go

Getting PCS Orders to a Place You Really Don’t Want to Go

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You are waiting on PCS orders, hoping for Hawaii or even Germany. If you can’t go OCONUS, you are pulling for Fort Carson, your best friend lives there and you have heard so many good things. Your spouse comes home with orders for Fort Bliss.

After 5 years overseas you just want to get stationed somewhere on the East Coast so you will be just a few hours from your family. You learn you will be PCSing to JBLM in Washington.

After spending 10 years in landlocked states you are hoping for a PCS to anywhere near an ocean. He gets orders to Fort Riley.

As any military spouse can tell you, there are certain places we want to go and certain places we don’t. Sure, most of us would love to PCS to some of the more popular military installation locations but that isn’t always what goes into where you want to go. Sometimes you just want to be close to home. Sometimes you just want to see another part of the world.

But what do you do when you get those long-awaited orders and they are for a place you don’t want to go?

The orders are for a place too far away from home or too different from what you expected. What if you get orders for a place you have heard nothing but bad things about? How can you get past that? How can you get excited for your new adventure when all you feel about it is dread?

Here are some ideas for when you get pcs orders to a place you don’t want to go:

Talk to people who like the area

I don’t care where you are going, you can always find at least one person that liked that duty station. Trust me. Some people are just able to bloom where the are stationed and others are able to find that one thing to make their current location enjoyable.

See if you can find people to talk to that live or have lived in that location. Most places have Facebook groups. I have duty station guest postsyou can read. Ask for real-life advice on social media.

Investigate

Once you find out where you are going, you can start your PCS planning process. If you are not excited about where you are going, spend some time looking into your new home. Find out what is nearby, what people do for fun, what your housing choices are.

The more you can learn about your new duty station the better prepared you can be once you move there and you are setting up your new life. Check out PCSgrades for more information about housing areas and neighborhoods that you might want to live in.

Make plans

Make a plan for once you get to your new home. Where will you go to make friends? What will you do for fun?

If you can figure some of this out before you go, you will be more excited to get there. If you would like to find a job in your new location, get your resume ready and seek out what is available to you. You can also look into working from home if that is something you would like to do.

Visit home before you go

If you are going to be stationed far from home, why not plan a trip back home before you go? See if you can work that in. See the people you want to see and do all the things you know you will miss while you are stationed far away.

Homesickness is real but planning a big trip to see everyone can help. And know that just because you will be stationed far away doesn’t mean you won’t ever be able to visit during the years you are there. You might be able to plan a trip or take advantage of Space-A if you are overseas.

What about you? Did you ever end up in a place you didn’t think you would like? Do you have PCS orders to somewhere you are not sure you will like? Leave a comment 🙂

21 Tips For A Better Military PCS

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I remember the day well. My mom was watching my 18-month-old son and I was waiting at my apartment for the movers to come. It was moving day for our very first PCS. We were headed to Germany and the day had finally come for the movers to start packing up all of our belongings overseas. It would be about six weeks before we would see our stuff again.

I was not a stranger to moving. By this point, I had probably moved about 12 or 13 times in my life, most of them before having kids or even being married. I would take a few weeks to pack up my stuff and then friends would come over and help me move. Then I would spend a few weeks unpacking.

This was different. We were moving to a new country and the Army was going to do it for us. I would not have to pack up all of my stuff. I would not have to look for boxes. I would have movers come over to my house and do it for me. Bliss.

21 Tips For A Better Military PCS

We have done two military moves and a move of our own since then. Moving is for the birds! I would rather not but as a military family you sometimes don’t have a choice. You will pcs and you might do so every 3 years or so.

There is a lot of stress associated with a PCS. You will have a lot to do and a lot to decide about. You will need to see if you want to do a DITY move or have the military move you. People are divided on this. Some want to do the move themselves, others don’t mind if the military does it for them. After moving myself so many times in my life I would always be happy for the military to move me. We have always had a good experience. That being said, not everyone does. There are reports of things being damaged, things being lost and things being stolen. You really have to decide what you want to do and what you can deal with.

After deciding how you actually want to move, you have to do all the rest of the things to get ready for your PCS. You need to plan, even if you are not a planner. You need to know what is going on and what dates things need to happen.

Here are 21 tips for a better military PCS:

1. Declutter. Get rid of stuff you don’t want or don’t use. Plan a day or two to go through your whole house and donate or sell as much as you can. You don’t want to go over your weight limit. We did once and had to pay about $250 for that mistake.

2. Feed the movers. If you have movers, make sure to offer them food and water. They will usually appreciate it. We did have movers once that didn’t want the pizza we got for them but they did love the Oreos so you never know.

3. Prepare to be without your stuff. When we moved 2 hours away we only had to be without our stuff for a few days but overseas moves can take six weeks or even longer. Sometimes moves within the US take time too. And there could be reasons why your stuff will need to be stored for a while. Make plans for this. Especially if you have kids. There are certain things they will need.

4. Label everything. It’s a good idea to label which room everything goes in. Some people get really into this and color code every room. I love this idea. That makes it so much easier to unpack later on. You can put notes up where you want your things so they end up in the right spot. If you want you can also have them put together your furniture such as beds and dressers. This will save you a lot of time.

5. Make a binder.You should have a binder or folder with everything you need for your move. You should keep your to-do lists in there as well as any important documents. You want to have everything with you at all times, no matter where you are moving to.

6. Put aside what you don’t want to be packed. Make sure to clear out one room and put all the things you don’t want to be packed in that room. Then lock the door. That way the movers can’t accidentally pack anything.

7. Save money. Save as much as you think you will need and double that amount. No really. Moving always costs more than you think it will, even if it is a military move. You will need to eat out more often, you will need to buy things at your new place, you will need to have that extra in your bank account.

8. Take the important stuff with you. If you are driving to your new duty station, take all your most important things with you in the car. When we moved overseas it was a bit harder to do this and I was so worried about a few things but if you can take them in a car, do so. Then you know they will be safe.

9. Take a House-Hunting trip. If you can, go out to your new duty station for a house hunting trip. It is so helpful to be able to see where you might live in person first. If you can’t do this and you know people at your next duty station, see if they wouldn’t mind going by potential places and taking photos for you. That way you can get a better sense of your choices. Sometimes you don’t get a chance to look until you actually get there.

10. Take photos before movers come. Take photos of everything important before the movers get there. That way, if there is any damage you have a record of what it looked like before the movers came.

11. Research schools. One mistake we made moving here is we did not double check on which school our house was zoned for. In some areas, the most logical school isn’t always the correct one. Even though there was a school in the neighborhood we were renting in, we were zoned for another one.

12. Rent vs Buy vs On post. You will probably have to decide if you want to rent, buy a home or live on post at your new duty station. Sometimes you have to live on post as there is no off-post housing. Other times on post is booked so you have to go off. You should think about if you should buy a house or not and base that on if you want the responsibility or if buy a house makes sense for your situation.

PCSIng

13. Empty your trash. If you don’t, the movers will pack it. Trust me, they will. And who wants to find 6-week-old trash in their new home?

14. Have someone watch your kids. If you can, have someone watch your kids when the movers come. This will make life easier for you, especially if you have toddlers. You can watch the movers and just chill and not have to worry about kids getting in the way. If you do have to have your kids home, keep them in a separate cleared out room while the movers are doing their thing.

15. Book your hotel. Once you know when you will be getting into town, book your hotel. That way you won’t have to worry about having a place to stay.

16. Use good materials. If you are moving yourselves, use the good stuff. You don’t want your boxes falling apart on you.

17. Keep all bedding together. That way when it is time to get your new bed set up, everything you need is all right there. You don’t have to go searching for it.

18. Don’t go crazy at your new duty station, especially coming back from overseas. When we first got to Ft. Campbell from Germany we wanted to go to all the places we had missed. This adds up and you simply can’t afford to do this. Remember, you will be at your new duty station for a while, you don’t have to see and do everything that first week.

19. Ship your car. If you will be shipping your car, make sure you understand what they want you to do to get the car ready to ship. The car needs to be very clean with very little gas. I have heard of people having to drive around the shipping location to get the gas amount low enough to turn in.

20. Plan for your pets. If you are taking pets with you on a PCS, make sure you plan for them too. Think about how they will get to your new location and what you will need to do. If you are going overseas shipping them can be complicated but people do PCS overseas with their pets. You can too if your location allows for you to do so.

21. Enjoy the journey. It is way too easy to get stressed out about a PCS and you will probably break down in tears a few times. Think about where you are headed and what the experience has been like for you. Think about all the memories you have made at your current location and all the fun things you can do at your new duty station. As hard as a PCS is, as difficult as the process might be, you will get to your new duty station and be able to enjoy your new home.

You can learn more about the area you are moving or find a realtor by checking out PCSGrades. They are such a great resource for anyone that is PCSing and getting ready to move to their next duty station.

Are you getting ready for a PCS? What would you add to this list?

The 15 Stages You Will Experience On Your Next Military PCS to a Brand New Place

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The 15 Stages You Will Experience On Your Next Military PCS to a Brand New Place

These are the stages of a Military PCS

PCS season is around the corner and life is getting quite hectic for quite a few military families. Although it has been a while since our family has gone through a military PCS, I remember the process and how stressful and crazy everything can be.

1. Bored and ready to move

After you have been at your duty station for two or three years, you probably start to feel ready to make a change. You know you are going to be moving this year, you want to know where, and you are ready to start the process.

2. Soft orders, start planning

You hear where you are going to go. If you are happy with this choice, you are worried that will change. If you are not, you are praying it will. You still need to be patient to wait for the physical orders before any of your PCS dreams (or nightmares) can come true.

3. Orders change

Your orders have changed. You assumed you would be spending the next three years in Hawaii, sorry, it’s El Paso. There is still a chance they could change again, but you aren’t holding out much hope. Try to just go with the flow and to not worry too much about the changes until things become set in stone.

4. Hard orders cut, it’s for real

Okay, you are going to this duty station. This is for real. Time to start your planning. You start asking in your local Facebook groups and Google all things about your new duty station. This is an exciting time, but then you start to feel a bit overwhelmed.

5. Stressed out with all you have to do

There is so much to do with a PCS. So many lists to make. So much to get done beyond your everyday lives. Make sure to create some system for everything you have to do and all the paperwork you need. Starting a PCS binder can be a very good idea but you can also just make sure you have a safe place for everything that is easy to take with you on the plane or in your car.

6. Get organized and plan

This is the stage where you decide if you want to live on base or not. If you want to live off, where you should find a house. Should you rent or buy? What about the schools? Take your time and try to relax about this part. There is going to be a lot of information out there and some of it, you can wait until after you are moved to figure it all out. Check out PCSGrades for reviews on different areas near where you will be moving.

7. Movers come, stuff goes

The day has come for the movers to pack up all of your earthly goods. Make sure to get your movers some lunch and offer snacks. They will appreciate it. Don’t pack your trash and make sure anything you want to take with you is safely locked in your car or a room the movers won’t go in.

8. All those last-minute things

It wouldn’t be a PCS without all the last-minute things you will need to do. From cleaning out your home to making sure you have turned in all those library books before you leave. Reward yourself with a Starbucks or a cupcake after you get everything done. And breathe.

9. Saying goodbye

Saying goodbye to friends is the worst. Try to say, “see you later.” Make sure you are connected on Facebook, that is where your friends will now live. Enjoy the last few days you have together and remember, the military is a small world and you could get stationed together again someday.

10. Physically moving

Now it’s time to either leave for the airport or get in your car to drive away from your home for the last 2-4 years. Adventure awaits, and once you reach this step, you start to feel like everything is going to work out. Remember to bring plenty of snacks and make sure you leave time for pee breaks if you are driving, especially if you have small children.

11. Hotel living

We were lucky, and the longest we had to stay in a hotel was a week. Others have to stay in them for much longer to wait for housing. Try to be creative with planning your hotel stay and remember, eventually, you will live in an actual house, with a real kitchen and no hotel keys.

12. Your stuff is here

Yay! Your stuff is here, you have moved into your new home and life is about it get much better. No more sleeping on an air mattress and your son finally gets to play Xbox again.

13. Unpacking hell

Time to unpack and unpack and then spend more time unpacking. Just get it done. All of it. You will be glad you did.

14. Make new friends

Now that you are at your new duty station, time to make new friends. This can be difficult but putting yourself out there is a must. Start with just saying hi to a neighbor or going to a playgroup with your kids. Making friends will take time but once you do you will feel more at home no matter where you are stationed.

15. Relax in your new home

Whether you are in a 3rd story two-bedroom apartment in Germany or have bought your first ranch house outside of Ft. Carson, enjoy your new home. This will be where you will live for the next few years. Bloom where you are stationed even if you are sad to be there. Adventures await!

If you are going through a PCS right now, what stage are you in?

Military No Stress PCS

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Military No Stress PCS

When my husband was commissioned into the Navy 19 years ago, I really had no idea what it would look like. My family had limited military roots and nowhere near the extent of what we were about to embark on. I also was a young 20-something with just a year and a half of college under my belt- not a lot of worldly experience to speak of.

If I’m being honest, most of our early days in the military are now a bit of a blur. We had our first two children during that time and there was a lot of moving back home during deployments which, when you add those things together, equal brain fog. A lot of brain fog.

Children will do that to you on a regular basis. Couple that with the fact that you didn’t always remember what time zone you were in let alone which one your deployed spouse was in will most likely lead to you remembering that time with just bits and pieces of those memories.

Look familiar? Just one batch of empty moving boxes and paper from our latest PCS move.

With the support of our families, I moved back home during months-long deployments, which meant I didn’t have a lot of access to military-related resources at a base. While I may not have needed them at the time, looking back, I think about how different my life could have been. Our past few homes have had a large community military presence.

It was only this past fall that I became aware of an organization called Military No Stress PCS. A friend of mine saw they were looking for a military spouse to be the new program coordinator and she thought of me. After a lengthy conversation with MNSPCS founder Rob, I was the newest member of the Military No Stress PCS team. They were truly putting their money where their mouth was in terms of saying they support the military and actually supporting the military.

This program is presently in its infancy, but had it been something that existed when I was a new military spouse, it could have been a very valuable resource. We have PCS’d 8 times in 19 years and I could call myself an old hat when it comes to moving. If I had the opportunity to use this type of help when it comes to finding the answers I needed, you can bet I would use it.

What is Military No Stress PCS?

Military No Stress PCS wants to help active-duty military families.

• The idea of this program came from a civilian, in the real estate business in Florida, who met a military couple moving back to the States and were looking to purchase a house. During the real estate process, they became friends, and then, through this friendship, the civilian began to wonder about how he could help other military families. From this genuine desire to help military families, Military No Stress PCS was born.

• At Military No Stress PCS, the commitment goes beyond the actual move and fosters a network of support and fellowship for our military community. Alongside active-duty members and spouses, we are supported by veterans and civilian volunteers, representing all branches of our military family. It is all about giving back to the military community.

• The Military No Stress PCS reach expanded to 87 CONUS locations and 12 OCONUS locations in 2021.

• Military No Stress PCS is funded by grants and donations and offers a personal concierge service completely free of charge.

• Military No Stress PCS concierge service basics: they tell us what they’re looking for; whether that’s information on homes, neighborhoods, schools, commute times, community involvement, local services, etc., and then we do the research and give them our highest recommendations.

• Since beginning the concierge service last fall, Military No Stress PCS has had upwards of 75 inquiries on a variety of topics, such as housing, pediatricians, overseas orthodontists, school-aged care, and how to find local jobs.

• Military No Stress PCS simply wants to support those who serve and their families by offering resources at no cost to them. For housing (rentals or buyers), we have real estate agents who are often military spouses themselves and/or are certified Military Relocation Professionals.

• Military No Stress PCS also employs military spouses and retired military to ensure the recommendations are authentic and come from experienced professionals.

• MNSPCS hopes to bring military families as many answers as possible for their PCS questions (including questions they might have even after they’ve settled) and to reach beyond those resources to allow military families to find the same community aspects when moving from location to location, saving families the time and energy revisiting the search with each move.

The information is out there in a thousand different locations. It can often be found by knowing the right places to search and the right keywords to type in. Sometimes, though, I am just plain tired of searching and that’s where Military No Stress PCS would come in.

There will be stress (that is a given) and there will be things that simply have to play out before the stress will be gone or even be merely reduced. These are just facts about military life. I have often found military spouses (myself included!) to be stubborn and strong and accepting help is not usually in our nature. After I had my twin boys, however, I realized how much help I needed and that some people genuinely want to help and the mission behind Military No Stress PCS is exactly that.

This military life has brought my family so many opportunities, including a tour overseas. Let MNSPCS help reduce your PCS stress so you can enjoy your opportunities.

6 Reasons To Be Excited About A PCS, Even When You Don’t Want To Leave Where You Are

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6 Reasons To Be Excited About A PCS, Even When You Don't Want To Leave Where You Are

6 Reasons To Be Excited About A PCS, Even When You Don’t Want To Leave Where You Are

You love where you live. You have a lovely house, the perfect group of friends, your kids enjoy where you are, and the schools are fantastic. You have already been there for three years, but you are hoping you can stay a little longer.

Then your spouse comes home with orders, to a new duty station, 2,000 miles away.

While some military spouses can’t wait to move and get away from their current duty station, you are not one of them. You would stay put for the rest of your spouse’s career if you could. But sadly, the Army has told you it is time to move on.

The good news is, there are still reasons to be excited about this move. Even if it is to a place you are unsure about, even if it is to a place you don’t want to go.

6 Reasons To Be Excited About A PCS, Even When You Don't Want To Leave Where You Are

Here are six reasons to be excited about a PCS, even when you don’t want to leave where you are:

1. A chance to start fresh

PCSing is a time to start fresh. While you might not feel like doing so at the moment, having a new start can be a fantastic thing. You can figure out what you want, how you want your life to go, and what you want to focus on in your new location.

2. Declutter time

Moving gives you a big reason to declutter. Get rid of what you no longer need. Have a yard sale or just donate. A PCS is a time to get rid of all that excess stuff you know you don’t need. While you don’t need to move to be able to declutter, moving can get you motivated to focus on it.

3. Make new friends

Making new friends can be hard at times, but so much fun once you find them. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, and enjoy making new friends once you move. Saying goodbye to your friends at your current location is going to be difficult, it’s never easy to do, but know that you can always keep in touch, even if you don’t live in the same city anymore.

6 Reasons To Be Excited About A PCS, Even When You Don't Want To Leave Where You Are

4. Explore another part of the country or world

This is your chance to explore another part of the country or even the world. You will get to experience things you never thought you would. You will be able to see things you never thought you would. Explore your new duty station and enjoy what it has to offer.

5. New house

A new home, whether you live on post or off can be a nice change. You might try to find a different type of housing, or even get a bigger place since you have added a new child to your family. Even if you love your current duty station, you might be ready for a new type of home.

6. Learning experience for all of you

If you are upset about leaving, think of this PCS as a learning experience for you and your children. This PCS will allow you to be more flexible in the future, it will make you step out of your comfort zone, and it will teach you about yourself as well as the world around you. Think of the PCS as a way to grow as a person and try not to let it bring you down.

Whether this is your first PCS or your tenth, don’t be afraid of your next adventure. You never know who you will meet, what you will get to experience, and where the road to that duty station will lead.

Will you be PCSing anytime soon?

19 Memes that Explain What PCSing is Really Like

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19 Memes that Explain What PCSing is Really Like

19 Memes that Explain What PCSing is Really Like

Have you been through a PCS this year? PCS stands for “Permanent Change of Station” and happens when someone in the military has received orders for a new location. Pcsing is a process and one that can bring on a lot of stress.

There is always so much to do during a PCS. You have to prepare for the movers to come or start packing if you are going to do that part of the move yourself. You will have to get certain papers signed and filled out. Your service member will have to do certain things around your current duty station. You will have to find a new place to live, sometimes with getting to see what is there in person.

Then there is the emotional side to pcsing. Saying goodbye to your home, your friends and watching your children do the same. Pcsing can be difficult, for both you and your children. PCSing can also be a great thing, especially if you are excited about your new duty station.

Here are some memes that understand the experience…

pcsing

Sometimes it is hard to know what PCS really stands for. I think both of these could apply.

PCSING

You might not get a say with where you go next, but it can be fun to dream. If only the military could give us exactly what we wanted in a new duty station.

Pcsing

Military life means moving often. Although some military families buy houses, we did, not all feel like they should. They are waiting until after military life to find their forever home.

PCSing

Yes! You will have memories no matter where you go. You will treasure them. It doesn’t matter how many duty stations you end up at, you will always remember certain people and the fun you had at each location.

Pcsing

Yep! I have 3 kids and they were all born in different places. Life of a military family.

Hurry up and wait

PCSing means waiting on orders and other paperwork. Hurry up and wait. Get it all done and then have to wait longer than you think you should.

Military Children

Being in a military family means having to go to a lot of different schools. Sometimes that is a good thing, sometimes it isn’t.

pcsing

So many things on your PCS to-do list but saying goodbye to your friends is the hardest thing you will have to do.

Pcsing

If you are a military spouse for a longer period of time, you might have to pcsing with a toddler, or a teen. I am not sure what would be harder to do?

memes-92

I don’t like saying goodbye, I would rather say see you later…

PCSing

Seriously! Your PCS could be delayed because people went on vacation or had a sick day.

Pcsing

What have you been saving for a future home?

pcsing

Yes, we say we are not going to stress but then we do. Oh well!

Pcsing

The Army doesn’t have a lot of beach choices…sigh.

Military Life

I love that as a military spouse I have met so many people from all over the US and the World.

Pcsing

Yes, just remember that at the end of the PCS is a new home, new friends, and new memories to be made.

Military Life

The military will drive you nuts when you are waiting for something to happen. Whether it is a PCS or a deployment coming to an end.

Pcsing Overseas

Yep! You wait forever and then boom, things happen and they happen fast. The next thing you know you are on an airplane waving goodbye to your former home.

Pcsing

Home is where the military sends you. What does your list look like? This is ours 🙂

Moving When Your Spouse is Deployed? Here Are Some Hacks to Help You Out

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Moving While Your Spouse Is Deployed: Hacks To Make The Process Easier

So your spouse is deployed, and you are tasked with moving you and your family to your new PCS assignment. You’re probably pretty stressed, right?

Moving is a daunting task, and when your spouse is unable to be there to help you do the work, the process can become even more overwhelming. Fortunately, with a little preparation and a calm attitude, you can get your family moved to your new location and still maintain your sanity!

Keep Everything Organized

The worst mistake you can make when moving is being disorganized. Especially if you have children, you can’t afford to be unprepared for each step of the process.

Make a List For Everything

It all begins with the organization– make a list for just about everything. List out all of the things you will need to do before you even start packing, such as your preferred moving service, costs associated with the move, personal items you will need for the trip, etc. These will all need to be decided ahead of time. It’s worth the extra time to make sure that the moving process starts on a good footing.

Identify What is Most Valuable to You

Keep a list of your most valuable items, such as electronics, jewelry, family heirlooms, and sentimental belongings. It’s common for possessions to be damaged, lost, or sometimes even stolen during the moving process. Keeping a checklist of these items to ensure they make it through the move safely will prove to be beneficial.

  1. Set Aside the Essentials

Another helpful tip for planning your move is to pack the essential items that you will need right when you get to your new home separately, such as toiletries, phone chargers, a change of clothes, and some food. The last thing you’ll want after traveling to your new home is to have to dig through boxes to find the things you need to get settled in that first night. To make things even easier and time-efficient for yourself and your family, you can have these essentials delivered to your new address while you are en route. This way, not only can you get settled into your new home quicker, but you won’t have to pack all of those items and lug them with you during your move.

  1. Pack Unused Items First

Perhaps the best place to start packing is with your spouse’s belongings. While they are deployed, they won’t need any of the items they left behind and probably won’t for a while until after they return home.

Holiday decorations are another good place to start if you are moving well in advance of the holidays. Anything that you can’t see yourself or your family using within the first month of living in your new home should be packed away first. From there, you can pack more and more of your belongings as your moving date approaches, leaving your immediate needs to be packed last.

Use Your Resources

  1. Utilize Military-Hired Movers

If you’re feeling exceptionally overwhelmed by the thought of moving yourself and your children all on your own, look to external resources for help. The military does offer help with packing and moving your belongings to your new home. It could be very helpful to get a few additional adults to help you with the process of packing and moving. Especially if this service comes at little to no cost to you, you might as well make use of the help.

  1. Get Your Kids Involved

Including your children in the entirety of the moving process can help them cope with their own stress associated with uprooting their lives. This can be very beneficial for your family as a whole. Whether your children are very young, or young adults, there are a few things children of nearly any age can do to help with packing and moving.

For the little ones, you can give them the assignment of collecting their favorite belongings and setting them aside to be packed separately. Doing so will make it easier for your child to feel more at ease during the move knowing that their favorite things are safe and easily accessible once they get to their new home.

For slightly older children, you can give them even more practical assignments from house hunting to packing up the entirety of their bedroom. It’s important that your kids feel as though they have some choice and control over the situation in order to feel better about leaving their friends and school life behind.

Take it Slow

Moving without your spouse there to be involved in the process can be very emotional for you and your family. The stress of moving, missing your loved one, solo parenting, and uprooting your family can be exhausting.

For this reason, getting help from movers and your family members is going to make a big difference in the emotional exhaustion this process may cause. Don’t try to do everything on your own, and don’t try to get everything done in only a few days either. Once you get to your new home, take your time moving in and getting settled. Remember, there’s no time limit on unpacking.

No matter what, moving is inevitable for military spouses, as is moving while your spouse is deployed. While you probably wish you could avoid relocating on your own, it’s best to have a solid plan for doing so. Try out a few of these hacks the next time you are assigned to a new duty station, and above all else, stay calm!