Is there a PCS in your future? Is it time to start packing up boxes and getting on your way? Need some help with where to live at your next duty station?
A PCS can be a challenging season in your life. There is a lot to do, and not all of it is super clear. Back when we were PCSing overseas to Germany, there were so many steps that I felt my head was going to explode.
On the other end, it took almost a couple of months to feel even somewhat settled in my new home. Everything was so new and different from what I was used to. And it took some time to get to a place where I could breathe.
The good thing is that there are resources out there to help military spouses through a PCS. There are companies that will help you make decisions about where to live. There are companies that will help you figure out how to pack. There are companies to help you figure out how to decorate within the military community.
Like anything else in military life, we don’t have to go through a PCS alone. Here is a list of companies, organizations, and military spouses to help you during your next PCS:
PCS Resources
MilSpouseConversations OCONUS Talk
MilSpouseConversations had a great talk in March about PCSing overseas. This group of military spouses has been through quite a few overseas moves from Japan to Germany. MilSpouseConversations is about real raw, real topics, and real conversations with a group of military spouses with over 100 years of military spouse experience between them.
Trying to decide on a neighborhood at your next duty station? Looking for a realtor? PCSgrades has reviews on many different off-post or on-post neighborhoods, real estate agents, mortgage lenders, moving companies, apartments, and schools.
Millie is also a great place to go for help before a PCS. Their Millie Scouts can be your boots on the ground, to help you review a future home when you can’t do so in person. They also have AgentHeroes who understand military life and can help you find a new home.
Permanent Change of Storing is owned and founded by Navy wife, Christa Curtis. Permanent Change of Storing will help you with organizing your home, PCS prep, settling in, and more.
Military One Source offers PCS help too. You can connect with experts that can help you through your move, Plan My Move, which offers a tool that gives you customized lists and more, and MilitaryINSTALLATIONS which is the official DoD guide for military institutions worldwide.
Move.Mil is the official DoD Moving Portal. Here you can find information and guidance for your move, where you can schedule your move, information about shipping your car, and even tips for settling in.
This company provides advertising for selling a home near military installations as well as resources on different aspects of military life, real estate, and homeownership. They can also be a great place to look for a home either to rent or to buy.
This company provides active duty and their families, DoD employees, military contractors, as well as federal employees with short-term rentals that are pre-approved to meet FTR (Federal Travel Regulation).
At Pcsing.com, you can find a one-stop information resource for service members and their families that are going through a military move.
MilHousing Network connects military families with military real estate experts in the US. They also run the Facebook group, Things I Wish I Knew Before I PCS’d.
Moving House for the Military Spouse
Moving House for the Military Spouse is a Facebook page that shows real life photos from military housing.
AHRN stands for the Automated Housing Referral Network is a website for members of the military who are searching for housing at a new duty station.
PCS Money
Need to know about PCS travel and relocation allowances or weight limits? You can find that information on the Defense Travel website.
BAH
Curious about BAH at your upcoming duty station, go here for the BAH calculator.
This post does contain some affiliate links!
PCS Themed Products
MilitaryPrintables
Looking for a PCS Binder Printable Kit? Check out MilitaryPrintables on Etsy.
This book, written by fellow military spouse and writer, Lizann Lightfoot, is all about living in OCONUS in Rota, Spain.
This children’s book, written by Amy Rivera and illustrated by Dayanese A. Rodriguez, is about Izzy and Milly, whose dad is in the military and gets orders to PCS.
Looking for cute PCS announcements? Olive Fox Paper Shop has some super cute choices.
Moving With the Military is a home improvement lifestyle series that celebrates military families with home makeovers.
Facebook Groups
In my own Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life Facebook group you can find a ton of posts based on duty stations both in the US and OCONUS. Just join the group, and do a search to see if your questions have already been asked about your future duty station.
PCS Like a Pro is an educational and supportive community for all things PCS related.
White Walls is a group to help with interior decor inspiration to make your military home feel like home.
Lost During My PCS is a group to help military families find missing items that they have lost during a PCS.
Military PCS With Pets is all about sharing information on how to PCS with pets.
Articles and Blog Posts About PCSing
5 Things to Do When You Get PCS Orders
The Ultimate PCS Guide to Packing Out – with Printables!
Bloom Where You Are Planted – 5 Things To Make A New House Feel Like Home
How to Buy and Sell a House at the Same Time
Tips for First-Time Military Homebuyers (and Mistakes to Avoid!)
50 Tips You NEED Before Your Next PCS Move
PCSing with an EFMP family member
Duty Station Guest Posts – Here at Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life you can find many different guest posts on duty stations both CONUS and OCONUS.
PCSing This Summer? These Relocation Tips Will Help!
PCSing can be such a big part of military life. Whether you are moving four hours or 3,000 miles away from your previous home. Luckily, there are many resources out there to help including the ones listed above. Good luck! And enjoy this part of military life.
[…] why it is the TOP ISSUE – It creates financial stress when with each PCS move a spouse loses her job and is forced into unemployment or under-employment status taking a low […]