What Items Will the Military Move?

	One of the benefits of being in the military is the opportunity to travel. Special remembrances or items you pick up along the way may add to your moving costs—especially if items are large or require special shipping and handling during your move. Keeping this in mind during your travels may help you avoid high moving costs.

When you receive your PCS orders, you will receive information about what items will be moved for you, along with a weight limit. The limit will vary depending on the destination (continental United States or beyond), your rank, and whether you have dependents. Items not moved by the military must be left behind or shipped at a cost to you. For example, movers may not pack chemicals, such as the majority of liquid cleaning supplies. Consider adding an extra $150 to $250 to your moving fund to purchase cleaning supplies and food items you have to leave behind. To help you make decisions on what to travel with, take a look at the Joint Federal Travel Regulations Weight Allowances on the AF MOVE Web site.

You will receive a Dislocation Allowance (DLA) to cover many of these expenses, but it may only partially reimburse relocation expenses. It’s wise to have the money available in your moving fund. To find out what your DLA will be, visit http://perdiem.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/dla.html.

Servicemembers can receive pre-move counseling through the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command’s Web-based Defense Personal Property System. Also, Families First will allow you to provide feedback about the service you receive from movers. For more information, visit Families First.

In the fall of 2007, the Department of Defense began offering servicemembers Full Replacement Value (FRV) coverage for personal property lost, damaged, or destroyed while in the care of a Transportation Service Provider (TSP). This improvement is part of the larger Families First program currently being implemented by the Department of Defense to improve the household goods movement process for servicemembers. With FRV, your TSP is liable for compensating your personal property loss amounts up to $5,000 per shipment, or $4.00 times the weight of the shipment (in pounds), up to $50,000, whichever is greater. There is no additional charge to servicemembers for this coverage.

For information on dates the FRV went into effect and how to file a claim, visit Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC).