Benefit Fact Sheet
Under (U.S. Code Title 10 §1056), help is available for military members and, where applicable, their families to manage service-required relocation by providing standardized information and services through various coordinated relocation assistance programs.
Active duty service members who make a permanent change of station (PCS) are entitled to receive PCS services and allowances to help manage the move. Additionally, active duty service members are entitled to receive PCS allowances to help manage the cost of the move.
The Relocation Assistance Program is a congressionally mandated program designed to ease the personal and family stressors military families experience with a PCS by providing assistance, counseling, education, and training throughout all phases of the relocation process.
Each Department of the Air Force (DAF) installation Military & Family Readiness Center (M&FRC) provides a support staff, trained in the techniques and delivery of professional relocation assistance. Each relocation assistance program offers the following services to assist service members and their family members moving to or from the particular installation:
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Destination area information and preparation before relocation, emphasizing moving costs, housing costs and availability, childcare, spouse employment opportunities, cultural adaptation and community orientation.
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Counseling is available for financial management, home buying and selling, renting, stress management, property management, and shipment and storage of household goods, motor vehicles, and pets.
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Settling-in services, focusing on available government living quarters, private housing, childcare, spouse employment assistance information, cultural adaptation, Sponsorship training support and community orientation.
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Home finding services, with emphasis on services for locating adequate, affordable temporary and permanent housing
Information for each individual relocation program is managed through a central, computerized information system, MilitaryINSTALLATIONS, a Department of Defense (DoD) program that provides service members and family members with extensive updated information about military installations worldwide before departing from their current station. MilitaryINSTALLATIONS information includes employment, housing, childcare, medical facilities, education, and support services. The MilitaryINSTALLATIONS can be accessed at https://www.militaryonesource.mil/. This web-based program also offers the popular Plan-My-Move fill-in calendars with extensive reminders and guidance for each step of the moving cycle. The newest service is Electronic Sponsorship. The MilLife LEARNING works in coordination with all the M&FRC, providing specific information for each service to assist transferring individuals/families obtain sponsorship, as well as online training for those individuals willing to serve as a sponsor.
To help manage the cost of the move, the core PCS reimbursement programs include:
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The Core PCS Reimbursement Programs |
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Program |
Eligibility |
Description |
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CONUS and OCONUS |
A dislocation allowance (DLA) partially reimburses a service member for expenses incurred when moving a household. The DLA is a flat amount and may be paid as a primary DLA, a secondary DLA, or a partial DLA, depending upon the circumstances of the household move. A service member’s grade and dependency status on the permanent change of station (PCS) travel order’s effective date determines the amount of the DLA. Only one DLA payment is permitted in a fiscal year, unless the situation qualifies as an exception specified in the JTR. |
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OCONUS only |
MIHA reimburses a member for overseas costs associated with living in privately owned or privately leased quarters. MIHA/Miscellaneous focuses on one-time rent related expenses and the initial cost of making a home habitable. MIHA/Security focuses on one-time modification of homes for security protection. MIHA/Rent is a dollar-for dollar reimbursement made for up front rent related expenses. These are fixed, one-time, nonrefundable charges levied on behalf of the landlord or a foreign government that the service member must pay before or upon occupying a dwelling. Rates vary by currency rates and location. |
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CONUS and OCONUS |
Per diem is a set allowance for lodging, meal and incidental costs incurred while on official government travel. Calculation of travel per diem rates within the Federal government is a shared responsibility of the General Services Administration (GSA), the Department of State (DoS), and the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO). DTMO publishes revised per diem rates in the Federal Register via a Civilian Personnel Per Diem Bulletin. Please see the Federal Register to access previously published Civilian Personnel Per Diem Bulletins. |
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CONUS |
The monetary allowance in lieu of transportation (MALT) rate for PCS travel is not intended to reimburse all the costs of operating a vehicle. It is a payment for POV travel based on the official distance between authorized locations. The MALT rate covers all the authorized travelers traveling in the vehicle and is a payment instead of providing transportation on a commercial carrier. A traveler who is authorized PCS travel by POV is allowed one day of travel for the first 400 miles between authorized official points. If the distance between authorized official points is greater than 400 miles, then |
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CONUS |
Authorized transport weight varies by grade and whether or not there are family members. |
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OCONUS only |
Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA) is intended to partially pay a service member for higher than normal expenses incurred by a member or dependent while occupying temporary lodging OCONUS. TLA is available when it is necessary for a service member or dependent to occupy temporary lodging upon arrival at or immediately before leaving a permanent duty station (PDS) OCONUS, or during other periods as specified in the DoD FMR, Volume 7A, Chapter 68. |
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CONUS only |
TLE partly reimburses relocating members for the cost of meals and lodging incurred when temporary housing is needed - Please check latest JTR for current information. |
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CONUS and OCONUS |
Advance Basic Pay is similar to an interest-free loan for a PCS with military salary as collateral. Repayment is normally made in 12 equal installments beginning the month after it is drawn. |
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Official DoD Customer Moving Portal: https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/
Plan Your Move
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When in doubt, give your local personal property office a call.
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Research your new base on https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/
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Learn what options there are for transporting your household goods
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Visit Military OneSource to learn more about coping with relocation and housing issues
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Attend an info session (briefing) at your local personal property office
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Visit PCSmyPOV if you plan to ship a privately owned vehicle (POV): e.g., car, truck, motorcycle, etc.
Schedule Your Move Use Defense Personal Property System (DPS) to schedule your move with a transportation company, track the status and location of your shipment, and file claims.
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Sign in to DPS to schedule your move online
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If you are doing a joint move (a.k.a., a dual military move with your active duty spouse), please visit your local personal property office to get help scheduling your move
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Visit PCSmyPOV to schedule an appointment at your assigned Vehicle Processing Center.
Get Ready for Moving Day
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Create your own high-value inventory list. Take pictures of the items and record the serial numbers.
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Contact your local personal property office if anything goes wrong with your moving company the day of your move
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Review Vehicle Prep Tips to get your POV ready for shipment or storage
Settling In
As you are unpacking you might notice that some items got lost or broken in transit. Follow this process to file a claim to receive compensation for your damaged items:
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Give Transportation Service Provider (TSP) written notice of loss/damage within 180 days from delivery date
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Review and sign the Notification for Loss and Damage at Delivery form
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Submit the Notification of Loss and Damage After Delivery form in DPS
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File a claim within nine months from the delivery date
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File an itemized clam in DPS for every item that was lost or damaged during the moving process
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Work with TSP to assess your claim
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Finalize the settlement
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TSP should provide an itemized listing of their offer for each or your items. You many respond by accepting or rejecting the offer for each individualized.
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For more information on the Relocation Assistance Program, please visit:
https://www.afpc.af.mil/Military-and-Family/
In addition, contact information for Relocation Assistance offices on Air Force installations may be located on the Military Resource Locator Library on MyAirForceBenefits:
https://www.myairforcebenefits.us.af.mil/Benefit-Library/Resource-Locator
Defense Travel Management:
https://www.travel.dod.mil/Policy-Regulations/Joint-Travel-Regulations/
Department of the Air Force Instruction, AFI 24-602, Personal Property Moving and Storage
https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a4/publication/afi24-602v4/afi24-602v4.pdf