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Don’t break the bank when you PCS

August 6, 2011 By 1 Comment

PCSING againWhen I saw our DLA amount the first time, I was elated! Saving money on this move is going to be a breeze. Yeah, right.

The song and dance began:

  • Sorting out and selling STUFF that we don’t need anymore. Unfortunately, I also came to the realization just HOW little we actually get for items we had paid for at one point. I made a mental note to definitely give future purchases more thought. For donated items we kept our donation receipts.
  • In order to prepare our home for rent we would fix all needed repairs ourselves.
  • We needed to rent our home, since we could not sell it without losing our shirt. If we were able to rent our home ourselves we would be able to safe some money. Expenses for advertising would be  still worth it.
  • We researched homes in our new location via the internet and were actually able to save money by finding a rental before we arrived, below our BAH in our new duty station. An extra house hunting trip was not necessary for us this time. We still arranged and got paperwork approved for house hunting permissive TDY for our time in our new duty station.
  • I started making a list of where I am expecting funds to be returned to us. Be it because of pro-rations or deposit refunds. It can be a pain in the neck to get all your money back but stay on it.
  • Putting down a rental deposit and first rent let our savings melt away.
  • In some locations, the military has agreements with local companies so that they would not require military family to pay deposits or at least get the military discounts.
  • Yes, always ask for a military discounts. If the company does not have one, then at least you have tried.
  • Depending on where you are moving to insurance can be an extra cost. We had to get a Fire/Hazard insurance for our rented home and a renters insurance for the new home. Car insurance changed as well.
  • Before we traveled we were looking into signing up with militaryrideshare.com so that we can safe some green being green. Go and take a look at their site.
  • During our travel time we tried to stay on military installations or we popped up our camper. We usually just called a few hours ahead of time and really never had a problem getting accommodations. However: Dog had to stay in the car
  • Instead of eating out 2 or even three times a day. We went to a grocery store to get some yummy, healthier and cheaper choices. Best decision ever.
  • We were meticulous about our receipts. We might not be able to use everything in our taxes or on our military travel vouchers, but I will decide that at a later point.
  • Keep all your receipts for later deduction in your taxes.
  • If you are traveling by car or truck and you carry any personal items with you (and who doesn’t? You will need clothes after all), the you can get reimbursed for that weight. You can get your car weighed on post/base or you can go to a certified local scale. How to video here. More. Take a look at the weight ticket. This is good money, don’t give it away. If you don’t keep anything else, keep the weight tickets and pass them in at inprocessing.
  • If you really want to know what this moves is costing you, you’ll have to write down all your expenses, that are connected to this move.
  • If you are a fast traveller: If you are allowed to travel 3 days to get to your new destination but get there a day early, you’ll be reimbursed per diem only for the time you actually used. I am just saying.
  • On arrival you, rather your spouse will get to inprocessing where among other things the forms needed are filled out to get reimbursed and paid out your allowances. This could be DLA, per diem, mileage possibly TLA. There are special tips for TLE. Don’t miss out on it.
  • At the beginning of the new year, take your receipts to your tax office (maybe on post or on base?) and have them help you with these deductions.
  • If you know where and when you are travelling taking a good look at Groupon.com, Livingsocial.com and YIPIT.com to take advantage of special offers when they come up.
  • I also used coupons and offers that came in through the mail and I am also taking advantage of web  offers coming through Groupon (local daily deals) or YIPIT.com (how does $46 for highlights and a cut sound?)

After all was said and done. I took a look at our numbers and was very happy to find that we actually did fairly well. For the immediate cost. What is not included in my calculations are new sign up cost for children in programs and activities, which usually show up at a later point in time.

As always, I am sure I forgot something or you have some great ideas to safe some more green.

Filed Under: Allowances, entitlements, entitlements, Military LIfe, Military Money Matters, PCS'ing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

What’s a BAH Waiver?

August 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A BAH Waiver allows the soldier and his family to receive BAH other than the soldiers duty station location, when circumstances require dependents to live separately from the service member.

How can it be that the soldier is NOT where his family is?
Instances are:

    • The soldier and family PCS’d to a new duty station and the service members unit is deploying with 12 months of arrival.
    • Soldiers with dependents in educational programs, such as college or vocational schools, they do not wish to interrupt.
    • Soldiers with spouses who want to continue their employment at the old duty station.
    • Low/cost waiver – service member is ordered to another duty station (close by) and decides that the family should stay in their old duty station. Service member keeps BAH for the old duty station, orders must state “This is a no/low cost move and shipment of household goods and movement of dependents are not authorized.”

  • Soldiers departing for Professional Military Education (PME) for 12 months or less may receive the BAH rate at the dependents location or the previous duty station (if that is where the family is located).
    • Waiver only applies to soldiers with dependents
    • Soldier receives only limited PCS entitlements, such as low unaccompanied baggage weight allowances (O1-O3 = 600lbs, O4-O6 = 800lbs, O7-O10  = 1000lbs,Enlisted = 500lbs), as well as limited financial moving allowances (DLA at the w/o dependent rate…etc)
  • Soldiers who have dependents with EFMP considerations that warrant the dependents to live at the old duty station.

Lots of info and resources here

Depending on the situation requested supporting documents might be:

  • a copy of soldiers’ orders
  • letter of educational institute
  • letter from employer
  • letter from physician or EFMP coordinator substantiating the medical situation

Filed Under: Allowances, entitlements, Military LIfe, Military Money Matters Tagged With: , , , ,

PCS News: Online Hotel Bookings

July 5, 2011 By 1 Comment

PCS DFAS News DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Services) published in their PCS news this important information in regards to reimbursements for online hotel bookings.

When you PCS you will get per Diem pay to help you off-set some of your travel cost. No itemization necessary. HOWEVER, if you would like to get reimbursed for your lodging expenses an itemized hotel bill is necessary. Lots of tips on TLE here. If your claim/voucher gets denied due to insufficient paperwork you could possibly lose $1000. So read this and remember!

  • Note the Changes: Reimbursement for Online Hotel Bookings
  • Timeframe: For any travel after November 1, 2010
  • YOU will need or reimbursement: an itemized (every night needs to be stated on the document) hotel invoice is necessary.

In order to be reimbursed for a hotel booked using an online booking agent (Orbitz, Travelocity, etc.) itemized receipt from the hotel is necessary. The receipt from your online reservations will not be considered a valid receipt.

Seems too that in the previous years/months it was possible to simply submit a “lost receipt” statement as a replacement for the itemized hotel receipt. That is not an option anymore.

Filed Under: Allowances, entitlements, Military Money Matters, PCS'ing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

I bet you didn’t know:”PCS Customer Service”

June 11, 2011 By 1 Comment

I bet yoDFAS get paid for your DITYu didn’t know that there is such a thing as PCS customer service. I was surprised. This term is a little bit misleading. This customer service refers only to PCS travel voucher payments and not to your general PCS procedure as there are many moving parts to this puzzle, think: JPPSO, TMO, Finance and so on. You might not need this info right NOW, but bookmark it or know where to find it.

Military PCS Customer Service

When completing a Military PCS move, service members will in-process with their local Defense Military Pay Office (DMPO) at their new permanent duty station.  The DMPO will then submit the PCS travel voucher to DFAS Rome for processing.

Please contact your servicing DMPO for submission information and for any additional questions you may have regarding your PCS voucher.  All PPM/DITY (when you are packing and moving yourself) claims must first be checked by the servicing Transportation Office for approval of weight allowance.  After approval by the Transportation Office, vouchers are to be submitted to DFAS Rome for processing. PPM/DITY Claim forms must be submitted through fax, or mail.  Fax numbers and the DFAS Rome mailing address are listed below. Usually your finance, JPPS Office will help you with questions as well.

PPM/DITY Submission Information
General Customer
Service Questions		 1-888-332-7366
DSN: 699-0300
Select Option 1
Email: DFAS-IN.Travel@dfas.mil
PPM/DITY Claims Fax: 317-275-0277
DSN: 510-366-0277
Mailing Address DFAS Rome
Attention: Travel
325 Brooks Road
Rome, NY 13441

via DFAS


Filed Under: Allowances, entitlements, Military Money Matters, PCS'ing, PPM (DITY), Resources Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

TLE explained

May 13, 2011 By 1 Comment

tle informationLucie Holloway who is a talented photographer,(you have to see her photos) shared her knowledge on some military entitlements when a fellow military spouse was asking about them.  There is a lot that can be said, but I think Lucie has pretty much covered everything:

You are  allowed TLE (temporary lodging expense) for up to 10 days. This means you can stay at on post hotel (or off post in certain cases) before heading out to your new duty station or when you are waiting/hunting for a house once you arrive to your new duty station. So for example, you can use 5 days of TLE at your old duty station and 5 day of TLE at your new duty station: http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/faqtle.cfm#Q1

The lodging rate may vary post to post, I believe. Susanna says: Yes, it does . Find the information on the website mentioned above. Then there are percentages of which I think the most important numbers you need to know are: 1 member and 1 dependent = 100% , each dependent 12 and over receive 35% and dependents 12 and younger receive 25%. ( there are exceptions for this as well, but going through all that would be too much now) Your reimbursements will not exceed $290. If you want to know how to budget read here. Your 2011 allowances are here. And if you want to avoid the 10 biggest PCSing mistakes read this.

If you spend more than what the daily rates are (for per-diem or for TLE), you will NOT get reimbursed, so plan accordingly and wisely. Don’t book a 5-star luxury hotel for $500 a night. You will still be receiving your BAH as you travel to your new duty station, so if you do spend more than what the military will pay you back, don’t forget you have your BAH coming in too.

For TLE, a statement/certificate on non-availability is necessary (to be presented to finance when filling out reimbursement forms) if staying off post. In order to get this statement, the family must first check with the on-post lodging to see if rooms are available there. If not, then they can proceed to find a hotel off-post and be sure to receive this certificate.

Many on-post lodgings do not allow pets or have limited availability of pet-friendly rooms, thus the family is forced to stay in an off-post hotel. In this case, they may not get the certificate of non-availability (it may depend on the on post lodging and its staff) and may not get reimbursed for the expenses while staying off post. Even some hotels off post do not allow pets. The pet fees (on or off post) are quite high at some places and most of the time, non-refundable. Families will more than likely lose money, if they have pets, but as I said – the BAH should cover any additional expenses.

Speaking from experience and our recent PCS move: When we arrived to our new duty station, we checked with the lodging on post only to find out no rooms are available. Finding a hotel off post was a long process as all the hotels off post did not seem to be in a nice/safe area and 90% of the hotels near the post did not allow pets. Our options were limited and we had to search in a different area (about 15 -20 min drive to post), where daily rates were much higher and pet fees were $150 per stay, non-refundable. However, even if we did not have a pet, we would choose this hotel anyway as it was in a safe and nice area and provided comfort and everything we needed. The daily TLE rate for lodging ($77 for our new duty station – rates vary post to post, I believe) did not cover the whole amount of daily rate of the hotel off post that we stayed in.

We were also given many mixed information regarding the TLE rate for our new duty station. One person said this, the other said that. We got no straight answer until we were filling out our reimbursement paperwork and realized we made a few mistakes. I advise the spouses to attend briefings with the sponsor to learn and ask questions. The briefings I attended were with the finance/travel office (they talked about per-diem rates, MALT, POVs, TLE). Transportation office briefing was another one I attended with my husband (they talked about PPM (dity) moves, weight tickets, etc.)

The TLE covers food and lodging. If someone stays with family/friends, they are allowed to write it down on the paperwork and will get reimbursed for the food portion of it if and ONLY if the family and friends live within a certain mileage from the post (50miles or so). We stayed with a friend that lives about 70 miles away from post thinking we will at least get money reimbursed for food, but no such thing happened as we did not know the friend lived too far away!).

Before turning any paperwork to finance/transportation for reimbursemet after the PCS move, I would advise it is critical to make copies of everything from the move (hotel bills, gas receipts, toll tickets, etc.) The only thing we did not make copies of were food receipts. Turn it originals and keep the copies for your records to verify you got paid for everything you should when the money goes through.

We do not collect advance pay prior to moving. It is easier for us to keep track of our expenses using money out of our pocket. It seemed as an extra hassle and trouble for some to fill out more information on their paperwork prior to Simple, Powerful-Mac Cloud Servers from Go Daddy!PCSing. However, some families do not have the finances to proceed with their PCS move without advance pay.

Mariotts, Best Westerns, Holiday Inns, and Homewood Suites offer government rates. Of course, some of these discounted rates may not apply to all properties during holidays, etc., but for the most part, I have always seen government rates available.

I ALWAYS make sure I do a very extensive re-search about any hotels we are planning on staying at. We travel often and so I know what to look for in hotels and what suits us the best. I use www.tripadvisor.com to read hotel reviews. It’s an excellent website. My iPhone was also my best friend during our PCS move. I was thankful for its internet capability and found/researched about each hotel that way since we decided to “play it by ear” during our drive to our new duty station.

I never book hotels through Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, etc. I ALWAYS go directly through the hotel itself as I get one-on-one personal attention on the phone, always ask for military discounts, and it’s much easier to cancel/change a reservation, if necessary. So far, about 90% of the time, our hotel rooms have been upgraded upon check-in (and we travel a lot!). Whether it is because we booked directly through the hotel or not, I’m not sure, but I am still determined to never book anywhere but through the hotel directly. I sometimes use the travel websites mentioned above to look up hotels by their star rating and what’s available in certain areas around the property.I see one that I like, I go directly to the hotel’s website for pricing, etc. I found my technique extremely helpful and it works every time. Same goes from plane tickets. These days, all the websites seem to have the same pricing when it comes to plane tickets. It may vary by a few dollars, but I always think, “what happens if I need to make changes/cancellations?”

As always, I visit the Army Community Service upon arrival to our new duty station. This is where I get lots of information which helps me get to know the post/base better before I start exploring it on my own. I love the support and classes they offer.

Your husband should attend a briefing with the transportation/finance office prior to moving to get more info on rates and how it works. Good luck.

I would add the links to DLA and MALT :

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/otherratesDLA.cfm
http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/otherratesMile.cfm

for TLE, a statement/certificate on non-availability is necessary (to be presented to finance when filling out reimbursement forms) if staying off post. In order to get this statement, the family must first check with the on-post lodging to see if rooms are available there. If not, then they can proceed to find a hotel off-post and be sure to receive this certificate.

Search & Win

Filed Under: Allowances, entitlements, entitlements, Military LIfe, Military Money Matters Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Reference: Appealing Excess Weight Cost

April 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Appeal excess weight costThis is meant to be more of a reference on which you can fall back on when the ‘unthinkable’ happens to you. You have done it all:

  • You have sorted out, donated, sold items.
  • You have also claimed professional gear for you and your active duty spouse and/or medical gear separately.

    • 120x60 REI Outlet

You think you are within your limits. Yet you seemed to have exceeded your weight allowance and your Carriers will not be shy to charge you excess weight cost and at probably around $0.50 up to $5 per pound this cost could skyrocket quickly. If you are being charged overweight, know that there is a way for you to appeal this cost.

! Hold on to your shipping documents. !

If you decide to dispute the HHG shipment excess costs must begin the appeal process through the Traffic Management Office responsible for the delivery your personal property.  (For Coast Guard personnel the CG Personal Property Transportation Manual, COMDTINST M4050.6, Chapter 2, Section 2008.7.d (page 2-18) provides guidance for the appeal process.) By now, you might also be able to do this through move.mil. If you do this, cover all your bases and still contact your TO/TMO

  • REQUEST A REWEIGH: If your shipment is picked up and exceeds your weight allowance,  ask the destination TMF to have the shipment reweighed. You are welcome to observe the
    weighing and reweighing of your shipment. Reweighing the shipment will not cause any increase in excess cost to you as our computations are based on the lower of the two weights.
  • Were PB&E declared on the DD-1299 at origin? If so, were the weight annotated on the inventory and included in the computations. I cannot say it often enough, that these items need to be sorted, recorded and weighed separately, before you sign the loading docs!

If you receive a DD Form 139 (Pay Adjustment Authorization), contact TMF BEFORE you agree to pay the debt.

You have four avenues of appeal:
a. REBUTTAL – Your first avenue is submitting a rebuttal through your local TMF. You must state  the reasons why you wish to dispute the debt. (
b. REMISSION – Active duty enlisted members may file for remission of indebtedness through Accounting and Finance. Only the uncollected portion of a debt can be considered for remission.
(Ref DFAS DEM 7073-1)  => hence, as mentioned, before do NOT pay if you intend to appeal.
c. BOARD FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORDS – If you feel an injustice exists, your next step is a review by the Board for Correction of Military Records. Process a DD Form 149
(Application for Correction of Military Records) through the Military Personnel Flight. Responses to your rebuttal and remission must accompany this application. (Ref AFP 36-2607)
d. GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE – Your final avenue is to the General Accounting Office. This request is processed through the Accounting and Finance Office. (Ref DFAS DEM 7073-1)       Responses to your rebuttal and remission must accompany this application.

It may take anywhere from 3 to 9 months before you receive notification of indebtedness for exceeding your entitlements. This delay is due to carrier billing procedures and the gathering of
information worldwide by the Excess Cost Adjudication Function. Do not hesitate to use the above appeal process. Remember that you might have to go above mentioned avenue several times if not all your documentation was considered. You have nothing to lose but your debt. At the same time, consider putting away small amounts of money, in case you end up having to pay, if you appeals didnot go through.
Try and start a folder in which you keep these documents:

  • DD-139, Payment Adjustment Authorization (PAA) for linehaul
  • DD-139, Payment Adjustment Authorization (PAA) for storage
  • Government Bill of Lading
  • DD-619 & DD-619-1
  • DD-1299 & HHG Inventory Sheets
  • Counseling Worksheets & All weight tickets (original and reweighs)
  • Orders & Estimate forms (DD Form 1701 or SDDC Weight Estimator Form)


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Filed Under: Allowances, PCS'ing, Shipping Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Get your weight right!

March 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Weight allowance for your PCS moveNumber 4 on our list of 10 biggest PCS mistakes is to have more ‘stuff’ than what the military will pay for. Being over the weight limit can become expensive very quickly.


OCONUS move:

Your weight allowance will vary and depend not only on your rank and dependent status but also WHERE you will be PCS’ing to. You will have to determine what to take and what to leave in storage in the US.

CONUS move:

Rental Cars from $13.95 a day!Your weight allowance is the allowed weight determined by the service members rank and family status. In the case of a PCS the military will pay the cost to move the predetermined amount of weight. This weight allowance does not include PBG&E/(Professional Gear)
orMEDICAL EQUIPMENT. Since it does not count toward your total weight allowance it is very important that you set it aside and mark it as such. Marking Pro Gear is even more important, if there is a chance that you might be over your weight limit.

The Service Member is responsible for staying within the assigned weight allowance, if you exceed that amount you are financially responsible for the added expenses of moving it with you HHG. As a method for making this estimate is to figure

  • 1,000 lbs. per fully furnished room,
  • 500 lbs. per partially furnished room.
  • The kitchen and bathroom together count as one room.
  • Add the estimated weight of large appliances and items in the garage, storage rooms, and the basement to that amount

You can get a more accurate estimate for your weight if you use this weight estimator. The weight of both, your government move as well as a  partial PPM (formerly DITY), will count towards your weight allowance.

Example:

You are authorized 8,000lbs. Your government move weighs in with  7,000lbs (no professional gear is considered) and your partial PPM weighs in (your certified weight certificates) 1,500lbs. The military will pay for the 7,000lbs+1,000lbs, you will not be reimbursed for the remaining 500lbs of your PPM

If your government move is over the weight limit, then you will be charged ~ $2/lbs (as of 8/2010).

You are entitled to have your shipment reweighed prior to delivery at destination. A request for a reweigh can be made through the transportation office either at origin or at destination prior to delivery.

Filed Under: Allowances, Shipping Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Do you qualify for extra weight on your shipment?

February 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

canned food consumable goods allowanceIf you are stationed at a permanent duty station for which JFTR (Joint Federal Travel Regulations) determines that

“at which it is difficult to locally obtain essential consumable items due to lack or reliable, adequate local food and other supplies”

you will receive a consumable goods allowance.

Consumable goods :

  • are food stuff, personal and household maintenance (no car- or machinery maintenance items)
  • is only allowed in OCONUS locations
  • varies from location to location
  • can be shipped AFTER arriving at your PDS (permanent duty station)
    • if you have at least 12 monts or more at your duty station left
    • your orders state that you are authorized
  • two shipments (totaling 1,250 pounds) per year are allowed if the consumable allowance is authorized
  • for active duty service members: your consumable goods weight allowance is in addition to the authorized HHG weight allowance

But take a look at the FAQ’s over at the Defense-Travel Website

See if your OCONUS location has a consumable goods allowance. If you next permanent duty station is on the list then take a close look at your orders to see and make sure that this “consumable goods allowance” is listed on your orders.

Regulations: Refer to JFTR (Vol. 1), par. U5310-D for uniformed members; par. C5154-D of JTR (Vol. 2) for DoD civilian employees; JFTR/JTR, APP A1 (definition), APP F for the consumable goods criteria and designated lists.

Authorized Locations

Afghanistan, Kabul
Albania, Tirana
Algeria, Algiers
Angola, Luanda
Armenia, Yerevan
Azerbaijan, Baku
Bangladesh, Dhaka
Belarus, Minsk
Benin, Cotonou
Bolivia, La Paz
Bosnia & Herzegovina,
Federation of
Botswana
Bulgaria, Sofia
Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou
Burma, Rangoon
Burundi, Bujumbura
Cambodia, Phnom Penh
Cameroon, Yaoundé
Cape Verde, Praia
Central African Republic,
Bangui
Chad, N’Djamena
China, Beijing
China, Chengdu
China, Guangzhou
China, Shanghai
China, Shenyang
Congo, Democratic Republic of
the, Brazzaville
Congo, Democratic Republic of
the, Kinshasa
Cote d’Ivoire, Abidjan
Cuba, Havana
Cyprus, Nicosia
Djibouti
East Timor
Ecuador, Quito
Equatorial Guinea, Malabo
Eritrea, Asmara
Estonia
Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
*Fiji, Suva
Gabon, Libreville
Georgia, Tbilisi
Ghana, Accra
Grenada, St. George’s
Guinea, Conakry
Guyana, Georgetown
Haiti
India, Calcutta
India, Chennai
India, Mumbai
India, New Delhi
Indonesia
Ivory Coast (See Cote d’Ivoire)
Kazakhstan, Almaty (Alma-Ata)
Kazakhstan, Astana (Aqmola)
Kenya
Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek
Kosovo, Pristina
Laos
Latvia, Riga
Liberia, Monrovia
Libya, Tripoli (eff 10 Jan 2006)
Lithuania, Vilnius
Macedonia, the Former
Yugoslav Republic of, Skopje
Madagascar, Antananarivo
Malawi, Lilongwe
Mali, Bamako
Mauritania, Nouakchott
Micronesia, Kolonia
Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar
Moldova
Montenegro, Podgorica
Mozambique, Maputo
Nepal, Kathmandu
Nicaragua, Managua
Niger, Niamey
Nigeria, Abuja
Nigeria, Lagos
Norway, Bodo
Oman, Muscat
Pakistan, Islamabad
Pakistan, Quetta
Philippines, Manila
Poland, Warsaw
Romania, Bucharest
Russia, Moscow
Russia, St. Petersburg
Russia, Vladivostok
Russia, Yekaterinburg
Rwanda, Kigali
Senegal
Serbia, Belgrade
Sierra Leone, Freetown
Somalia, Mogadishu
Sri Lanka, Colombo
Sudan, Khartoum
Suriname, Paramaribo
Syria, Damascus
Tajikistan, Dushanbe
Tanzania, Dar es Salaam
Togo, Lome
Turkmenistan, Ashgabat
Uganda, Kampala
Ukraine, Kiev
Uzbekistan, Tashkent
Venezuela, Caracas
Vietnam
Yemen, Sanaa
Zambia, Lusaka
Zaire (See Congo)
Zimbabwe

Filed Under: Allowances, OCONUS States and Countries, PCS'ing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Top 10 Biggest PCSing Mistakes

January 28, 2011 By 4 Comments

When it comes to PCSing, the military has ever changing rules and requirements that can be very confusing. It is important to keep up with the basic rules so that you don’t wind up paying out of your own pocket for your move.

Avoid these 10 biggest mistakes:

10.Failing to keep the proper paperwork: Get an expandable pocket folder to keep your paperwork sorted and all in one place. If you are doing a Personally Procured Move, or PPM, (former DITY) it is best to save all your receipts.

9. Failing to keep JPPSO updated on your non-temporary storage: Every service member is entitled to at least 90 days of long-term storage. Know the rules and requirements. For example, make sure the JPPSO (Personal Property Shipment Office) has a valid address where they can contact you. Failing to do so can cost you $$$.

8. Not understanding the claim filing procedure: In the PCS brief and the PPM (former DITY) brief  you will receive information about the claim filing procedure. Read it, understand it, and keep it.  Have an inventory of the valuables in your home.

7. Overshipping: Think: Overseas move. Not all overseas locations have generous size housing.  Research how big your future quarters might be and consider this when you arrange your shipping.

6. Doing something that is not authorized on your orders: Take a close look at your orders.  If you have dependents does it say: “Dependents: yes”, or  “authorized to move household goods “with dependents”?  If not have the orders amended.

5. Taking the maximum advance on a PPM (former DITY move): You are authorized up to 60% advance pay if you do a PPM. You’ll easily end up owing money which will be deducted from your pay in one big lump sum.

4. Exceeding your weight allowance: Know your weight allowance. Drop weight if necessary. Sort, sell, throw out. Separate your Pro Gear- it does not count against your total weight.

3. Don’t Cheat! : It happens more often than you think! Generally, this is in connection with a PPM (DITY Move) and in regards to weighing the vehicles.  It can cost your career.

2. Not Communicating w/ your partner and family: Talk about what needs to be done and what your expectations are.

1. Having the wrong attitude:

It’s your attitude not your aptitude that will determine your altitude. ~Bruce Miller

There will be a time when moving (again), for whatever reason, will be extremely hard for you.  However, you’ll still have to move. The attitude you have will make or break you. Be positive for your  own well-being as well as the well being of your family.

Please come back next week, when we explore in more detail on HOW to do it right!

Filed Under: Allowances, claims, entitlements, PCS'ing, Planning Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Dislocation Allowance 2011

January 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Dislocation Allowance 2011You may be authorized a Dislocation Allowance (DLA) when relocating your household due to a PCS. This allowance is a reimbursement TOWARDS your relocation expenses.

Here are a few facts:

  • Generally, you are authorized only one DLA payments but there are exceptions – contact your finance office to get details.
  • You maybe authorized to receive DLA on your first move when the active duty service member has dependents that are moving WITH him to the new permanent duty station.
  • No DLA is authorized  when you move from your last duty station to your home of record (usually, when you are leaving the service)
  • PCS allowances are usually granted when your stationed for more than 20 weeks at one location (look at your orders!)
  • An active duty service member will receive DLA at the without-dependent rate if no dependents are moving and he/they are not occupying Government quarters at the new permanent duty station.
  • You will receive partial DLA if you are ordered to move into government quarters. With privatization and renovations going an this important.

read JFT Regulations here more about DLA

Dislocation allowances have slightly increased. You might see an increase of $30 to around $50. Not much, but everything counts. In order to get Dislocation Allowance your Active Duty Service Member MUST in-process at the finance office or online. If you have NOT presented your travel voucher, or you have been told that you have NOT received it, then re-submit it. Please ensure that you keep copies of all receipts and paperwork that you submitted. If you feel you have not been helped properly, leave a comment on ICE – Do NOT flame and leave your contact information so someone can get in touch with you.

dislocation allowance 2011 for PCS

Secondary DLA Rates 2011

more 2011 PCS allowances:

Filed Under: Allowances, entitlements, entitlements, Military Money Matters, PCS'ing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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