No matter how hard you try to avoid it, something always seems to get broken during a move. What happens when your stuff is damaged during the PCS (Permanent Change of Station) process?
Not to worry! If something is broken during a military move, the government will reimburse you. Both Department of Defense and service members are eligible for full replacement coverage; however, full replacement coverage is only applicable for certain types of moving shipments, including international, domestic, non-temporary storage, and local moves.
The full replacement coverage program states that the carrier is responsible for the higher amount of either $5,000 per moving shipment or $4.00 times the total weight of that shipment. For the latter option, the maximum is $50,000. If something gets damaged during your PCS, you are basically covered.
You should not expect reimbursement, however, if you do not file a notice of loss and damage in a timely fashion. There are even special forms for doing this – the DD Form 1840 and the DD Form 1840R. Basically, you have 75 days from the day of the move in order to file either one of these forms. Do not get rid of the broken items right away either, as they might need to be inspected.
Remember, there is no additional cost for having the full replacement coverage throughout your PCS process. If you are not sure if your move is eligible for this coverage, simply contact the relocation office on your base.
