Military moving takes place every two to three years on average. The military norms and mission requirements of the service member leave little choice in the matter, although they do not always relocate with their families. At other times, however, the family will move with the active service member and the financial cost of relocation is usually handled by the military. In some circumstances, military personnel may even have to move overseas. This will necessitate further adjustments to factors such as local culture, language and traditions. This problem is usually dealt with by training, including culture and area orientation. The Department of Defense will almost always assist with the military move in order to maximize efficiency and offer special entitlements that will help to defray the costs of relocation. The military moving procedure includes a number of particular steps, which include serving official notice about the move and developing a phased relocation schedule. When the report date has been firmly established, the employee who will be making the move will have to put in a Relocation Services Request form in order to be eligible for a number of moving benefits.
The employee will then have to contact a moving company – preferably one that has military approval – to conduct a pre-relocation survey. The moving company will then make the appropriate arrangements and the employee can put in a travel claim. The military can also be of assistance in helping the spouses of service members to find suitable employment.
Rick Wozniak
