Articles
Moving
How To Plan A CONUS PCS Pt. 3
Over the last two weeks, I explained the basics of a CONUS PCS from acronyms to the types of moves available. Today I’ll walk you through how to pick your actual moving dates. But first let me share a tip. Remain extremely flexible during this whole PCS planning process. Often we’ve burned through Plan A, B & C only to end up back on Plan A. The more flexible you remain, the less frustrated you’ll be.
How To Plan A CONUS PCS Pt. 2
In Part 1, I explained what a PCS means and how the service member’s orders spell out the basic (but very important) information on executing the move. Let’s discuss the types of moves available and how to make a decision on what works best for you. The military offers three options for moving: government contracted movers, a Personally Procured Move (PPM—also formerly known as a Do-It-Yourself/DITY) or a combination of a government contracted move and a PPM. Here’s a breakdown of each option.
How To Plan A CONUS PCS Pt. 1
P.C.S. Those three little letters possess the power to upend our lives. The destination attached to a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) often brought joy and sometimes disappointment to my husband and I. But no matter how I felt about our next move, I learned a little bit more about the PCS process each time. I quickly found that understanding the process brought a bit of peace that carried me to the next duty destination.
Christmas Two ways
If you marry someone in the military, Christmas can be an adventure. We often have no idea where we’ll be from season to season. Many Christmases my husband was deployed. The next year we might have been in the middle of a PCS. Every once in a while, we’d be settled and enjoying a traditional Christmas Day with family or new military friends.
Holidays on the Road
If you’ve ever been on the winter PCS rotation, chances are you’ve spent at least one holiday on the road. During my husband’s 26 years in service, we experienced this many times. It doesn’t have to be a sad affair. Like many things in the military, it is what you make of it and thinking outside the box helps.
A Different Kind of Thanksgiving
We had been living at our first duty station for about six months when I realized I needed to start making plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Truth be told, I had already made plans for Christmas because my mom’s 70th birthday was in December.
Winter PCS Precautions
The military concentrates its efforts on PCSing service members twice a year: summer, when the air is hot and the asphalt is hotter, and winter, when the air is cold and the soul turns bitter.
Get Out and Explore
Island fever held me in a vice grip. I’d just moved to one of the most beautiful places on earth. But I was miserable. Shortly after arriving in Hawaii, I found out that I needed a another sinus surgery.
Buying a Home Military Style, Pt. 2
Of all the decisions you make when you move in the military, deciding where to live may be the biggest one. Last week I shared the initial steps before you purchase a house and…
Buying a Home Military Style, Pt. 1
“Let’s buy a house,” my husband said.
“It will be fun,” he said.
“It will be like we’re really adults and it will be good for the boys,” he said.
Planning a PCS Road Trip
It’s PCS time! It’s time to adventure and see new things and have new experiences!
“But the planning!” you say.
“I’m overwhelmed!” you say.
Connecting Kids After a PCS
Have you ever felt like a nanny should be issued along with your PCS orders? Or a personal secretary? Or a machine to duplicate you, so you can watch the kids and do ALL the things…
School Choices, Pt.2
After reflecting on “School Choices, part 1”, I realized my friend’s advice still echoes in my mind this spring even though we aren’t PCSing.
“Every child, every grade, every move,” she had advised me.
School Choices and PCSes
“We pray over each child, each grade, each duty station.”
A seasoned Army wife gave me this wise advice when our boys were about five and three.
Pets and the Military
My husband and I adopted two dogs within our first year of marriage. Those two rascals gave us a run for our money. But military life as a pet owner came with a few challenges that we didn’t anticipate.
Military PCS with Pets – CONUS
Our first PCS with pets was relatively simple from Texas to Arizona. Our two dogs loved car rides and knew the word “adventure” meant good times.
Traveling with Toddlers
I grew up the youngest of three girls. We had an eight-year difference between me and my youngest sister. We had vinyl seats, no A/C and nothing more technical than an AM/FM radio in the car.
PCS Binder
Life was simple when my husband and I first set off on our military adventures. Since I didn’t know much about the Army, my husband handled all of the paperwork the first couple of times we PCSed.
Pre-Packing Advice, Pt. 2
Our move to Hawaii taught me a lot of things about packing well. I counted our pictures’ safe arrival as a victory, but somehow during our move to the Aloha state our printer got turned upside down.
Pre-Packing Advice, Pt. 1
The first time my husband and I PCSed, I didn’t know what to expect. I’d been a military spouse for about a year. The internet wasn’t big back then so I wasn’t freaked out by PCS horror stories posted on line.
Empty House Blues
Sometimes the adventures we most need to embrace are those annoying adventures foisted upon us. The transportation and housing offices at our new duty stations seem to have a knack for this.
Moving with Plants
I may go a bit overboard with plants. I’ve purchased a lot of them over the years, both house plants and garden plants. I choose to think of them as my companions along this military journey.
Driving in the Northeast
Thirty minutes to go. Our loaded car and UHaul sat just outside the house, ready to go. Our super clean house gleamed in the late afternoon light. We were ready for our housing inspection and PCS south.
Trucks and Towing
Our final Army PCS seemed to be on track. We had prepped for movers, purging many items and wrapping, bagging and packing plenty of stuff ourselves. We were ready for the military packers on Tuesday.
Military Moving Acronyms
This is a comprehensive list of all acronyms that you may need to know for the next time you PCS!
Embrace the Journey
Have you ever complained?
About a misbehaving child? An uncooperative spouse? The crazy of the last three-ish years? A deployment or a PCS? A journey?