Q.
Hi I am Erika
MY husband and I were just informed where our first duty station will be. It will be at Fort Richardson, Alaska. I know its considered overseas and my question is,
WHAT DO I DO NOW?
How do I set up a move I never did this before and my husband is right now in AIT..
..then he will be going to airborne in March..so it wont be till about April that we move. Can you give my a heads up on what I going to need to do for when we move?
ERIKA

A. Hi Erika,

Thank you for writing Army Wife 101!

Moving overseas is very exciting but can also be somewhat confusing but you can make it simple by staying one step ahead.

The first step for you will be to look into getting your EFMP screenings. EFMP is the acronym for Exceptional Family Member Program. The Army needs to make sure you and any other dependents in your family do not have any health conditions that cannot be treated where you will be moving to. You will need to call your local base and speak to someone in the EFMP office and they will be able to give you detailed information on this. Your husband might need to fill out a specific form first before they can began any paperwork so be prepared to be told that as well. Once you have had your medical screening the paperwork will sent from your local EFMP office to the EFMP office in Ft Richardson where it will be reviewed for approval. Approval wait time can take a few weeks or longer.

This approval is very important because in order to PCS on the Army’s dime you need to be command sponsored. This is the process you will need to go through to be listed on your spouse’s orders. If for some reason he is issued orders before your command sponsorship is approved then he usually can have his orders amended to include you and any other dependents.

As far as setting up the actual move , none of this can be done until orders are actually issued. It is at this point your husband will visit the transportation office and set up for pickup for your HouseHold Goods.

Their are things you can do early to make the PCS less of a hassle such as:

* Sorting through house hold items and getting rid of items you do not want to bring with you (There is a weight limit on household goods).

* Making sure all important documents are stored together in a file ( you will come to learn to carry this with you in the military …They always seem to need a copy of something.)

* If you are renting a house or an apartment make sure to notify your landlords that you will be moving if you have to break your lease. In most cases you should be protected under the military clause but if you don’t have one it will make it easier to prepare financially should you incur any early termination of lease fees.

*Lastly prepare financially in general. The Army does a good job of helping you out financially with PCS moves. You should receive DLA ( Dislocation Allowance) which is for the setup of your new home and TLE/TLA which is lodging and food allowances while you are waiting for housing. you also should receive COLA (Cost of Living Allowance). Other items you should set aside funds for are rental car expenses and ultimately deposit money in the event onpost housing is not available right away. It can take alittle longer then expected sometimes for BAH to switch over to the correct amount for your zipcode so being prepared is essential.

Before your hubby leaves AIT he will go through a series of briefings prepping him for your move overseas and alot of the paperwork will be on him to handle. It is important to pass on information to him so that he can stay on top of the PCS move as well.

I hope I have given you a general understanding of what to expect. Feel free to email me again.

Best of Luck on your move!

Hooah & Smooches