Tips for your next PCS

Before you move…

Your new neighborhood is more than just a home for your family - it’s a community with opportunities for your family to thrive and learn.

• Research neighborhoods to narrow your home search.
• Consider commute times to your base, jobs, medical providers and daily shopping.
• Consider researching crime statistics for the neighborhoods you’re considering.
• If education is a top priority, do your research to discover the best schools for your children.
• Search for local amenities that are important to your family.
• Identify available housing in your target neighborhood that your Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) will cover.

Helpful Websites

• How To Tell if You’ll Love Your New Neighborhood
• How Safe is Your Neighborhood?

Help with your school homework

Finding the ideal school is the biggest concern for military families with children. Are you looking for a public, private, charter or home school community? You’re not only looking for a school that performs well but you are looking for a place your child can call home.

• Identify the school or district that will best meet the needs of your child.
• While ratings and test scores are important, it’s also important to recognize programs the school may offer such as immersion or robotics programs, extracurricular activities and class sizes.
• Determine the commute from/to home and/or work.
• Identify the class size and student to teacher ratio.
• Research special course offerings or extracurricular activities that may benefit your child.

Helpful Websites

• Great Schools
• Seven Things You Need to Know About a New School

Military resources for PCS’ing families

You can simplify your family’s move by using resources provided by the Department of Defense and other not-for-profit organizations.

• Master your PCS by utilizing the moving tools and resources provided by Military OneSource
• Move.mil will track your household shipments.
• MilitaryINSTALLATIONS will help you learn about your new community.
• Plan MY Move will provide you with customizable checklists to plan your move.

If possible, visit your new installation to identify resources and services, and to meet your relocation assistance point of contact. This person will assist you with contacting your installation’s Family Support Center and transportation office.

Schedule a meeting with your base Transportation Office to identify all the options and assistance available to your family.

Establish an appointment with your new base’s finance office to discuss your relocation options and benefits.

Another great tool to help with PCS’ing is the PCS Guide and Moving Checklist provided by Military.com.