Moving is a stressful time of life for everyone, but it can be even more complicated when it is a military relocation rather than a civilian one. As well as the normal concerns relating to things such as packing and the transportation of possessions, a military family may also have to cope with inoculations, passports and visas if their military member is being deployed in a foreign country. The good news, however, is that there are a number of ways in which the confusion that often results from a Permanent Change of Station can be minimized.
You should arrange for the move with the post or base transportation office as soon as possible, as this will give you a better chance of having the best movers in the area to help you with your relocation.
Packing also needs to be organized in a speedy and efficient manner. One room should be given over to items that will be shipped to your next destination, another to items that will go into storage while you are away, and another to items that can fit in suitcases and thus travel with you personally. This will make it easy for the packers to know what has to go where and avoid any potential confusion.
You will also need to meet weight limits, so you may have to throw out anything that you will no longer need or that will be easy to replace at your next duty station.
Rick Wozniak
