Militarily Speaking PCS Survival Guide Episode 1: PCS Orders, Paperwork & Everything You Need to Know First

If you've just received PCS orders — or you know they're coming — this guide is for you. In this first installment of our four-part PCS Survival Series, Militarily Speaking hosts Tom McLean, Jodi Vickery, and senior VA loan expert Mel Aguto (a combined 20+ years of military spouse experience and more PCS moves than they care to count) walk through everything you need to tackle first: understanding your orders, navigating CONUS vs. OCONUS differences, the paperwork that trips families up most, and special considerations for EFMP, IEPs, and pets.

Four-Part PCS Survival Series

1. Orders & Paperwork — CONUS vs. OCONUS, who to notify, PCS paperwork, and what trips people up
2. Planning the Move — HHG vs. DITY/PPM moves, on-base vs. off-base, breaking the news
3. The Move Itself — DLA, per diem, reimbursements & common financial mistakes
4. Landing on the Other Side — First 30–60 days, career transitions, rebuilding community

PCS meaning in military life: PCS stands for Permanent Change of Station. It's the official Department of Defense term for ordering a service member to relocate from one duty station to another. And unlike a voluntary job move in civilian life, PCS orders are a mandate — not a suggestion.

The day orders come in is simultaneously the most exciting and most overwhelming day. You're excited because it might mean a new adventure — but the paperwork mountain in front of you is very real.

— Mel Aguto, Senior Loan Officer & VA Loan Expert, Armed Forces Bank

The orders document will specify your gaining duty station, your report-by date, and key logistics. The moment it arrives, the clock starts ticking, and the sooner you understand what type of move you're dealing with, the better.

One of the first and most important things your orders will determine is whether you're making a CONUS or OCONUS move. Understanding this distinction shapes every decision that follows.

• CONUS — Continental United States. A move between stateside duty stations, such as Fort Bliss to Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM).
• OCONUS — Outside the Continental United States. This includes Germany, Japan, South Korea, Hawaii, Guam, and other overseas assignments.

CONUS Move

• Standard stateside relocation
• Simpler shipping logistics
• No passport requirements
• No SOFA to navigate
• Pet transport is manageable
• Typical planning window: 30–60 days

OCONUS Move

• International relocation
• Passports required immediately
• Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)
• Country-specific pet import rules
• Visa & dependent documentation
• Significantly longer lead time needed

Pro tip from Jodi

If you receive OCONUS orders, start passport applications for all family members the same day. Waiting even a week can cost you weeks of processing time, and some countries' entry requirements mean expired or absent passports can delay your entire move.

For OCONUS moves, you'll also want to look into the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) for your destination country. This agreement governs the legal rights and privileges of U.S. military personnel and their families abroad. Your installation's legal office can walk you through the specifics.

Once orders are in hand, there's a right order of operations — and skipping steps (or notifying the wrong people first) can create complications.

1. Your family comes first

Before anything gets out through your unit's rumor mill or social media, your spouse and kids deserve to hear it from you directly. This conversation matters — give it the space it deserves.

2. Your command and chain of command

Present a physical or digital copy of your orders to your immediate supervisor and your S1/Admin section within 24–48 hours of receipt. This kicks off official out-processing, including the creation of a Personal Action Request (PAR) or DA Form 4187, and your initial appointment with the Traffic Management Office (TMO) to begin moving arrangements.

3. Schools, housing, and your financial institution

Notify your children's schools early so they can prepare transfer documentation. Contact your landlord or base housing office. And — critically — notify your bank.

Financial readiness & Army financial literacy for PCS

Part of solid army financial literacy around PCS training is understanding that your financial setup should be reviewed before every move — not after you arrive. Pull your credit reports. Review your accounts. If you're banking locally and your bank has no presence at your next duty station, now is the time to switch. Armed Forces Bank has physical locations and on-base ATMs at installations across 10 states, making it a practical option for military families who move frequently.

Leave requests

Leave dates for authorized travel to your new duty station have specific windows. If your dates aren't coordinated correctly, you can lose entitlements — or find yourself rushing and spending more money out of pocket than you should.

Dependent travel authorization + household goods scheduling

These two have to align, and they often don't when families try to manage them separately. Get your TMO appointment scheduled as soon as orders are in hand — this office is your best resource for synchronizing everything.

On-base housing applications

Apply for on-base housing the same day orders arrive, even if you're not certain you want it. Waitlists can run months long, and applying preserves your option while you explore off-base alternatives in parallel. (We'll go deeper on the housing decision in Episode 2.)

Financial power of attorney

If one spouse will arrive at the new duty station before the other — or if a deployment interrupts the PCS window (it happens) — a power of attorney enables the other spouse to sign leases, handle banking, and make key decisions legally. Get this done through your base legal office before the chaos begins.

Early paperwork checklist

• Orders received and copies made (physical + digital)
• Family notified before command
• Orders presented to S1/Admin within 48 hours
• TMO appointment scheduled
• On-base housing application submitted
• Passports checked (OCONUS: initiate immediately)
• Credit reports pulled and financial picture reviewed
• Financial power of attorney completed (if applicable)
• Kids' schools notified and records requested

EFMP, IEPs, and Pets — Parallel Tracks That Need Early Attention

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)

EFMP is a mandatory enrollment program for military families who have a family member with special medical or educational needs — including physical disabilities, developmental conditions, chronic health conditions, or special education needs covered under an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

EFMP enrollment can directly affect where a service member is assigned — the military is required to ensure the gaining installation has the services your family member needs. But this system only works when your records are current. If orders come in and your EFMP documentation hasn't been updated, contact your installation's EFMP coordinator immediately. Then reach out to the gaining installation's EFMP coordinator to verify what services are available before you arrive.

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

The receiving school district is legally required to honor an existing IEP while developing a new one. But you need to show up with documentation. Maintain a physical folder and a digital backup of every IEP, assessment, and related document. Don't rely on records transfers to arrive on time.

Pets — Start Early, Especially for OCONUS

No military transportation will move your pets — that responsibility falls on you. For CONUS moves, pet transport is generally manageable. For OCONUS, every country has its own rules around quarantine periods, required vaccinations, microchipping, health certificate timing, and breed restrictions. Japan and Hawaii both have quarantine requirements that can last weeks if documentation isn't in order well in advance.

Rule of thumb

For OCONUS pet transport, give yourself months, not weeks. Research your destination country's import requirements the same week orders arrive.

Episode 1 key takeaways

1. Understand your orders immediately. Know whether you're doing a CONUS or OCONUS move — the preparation is fundamentally different.
2. Notify in the right order: family first, then command and chain of command, then schools, housing, and your bank.
3. Get to your TMO and personnel office right away. Apply for on-base housing that same day — don't let the waitlist catch you off guard.
4. Get a financial power of attorney done through base legal if there's any possibility of split travel or a deployment mid-PCS.
5. If you have EFMP needs, IEPs, or pets, start those parallel tracks immediately. The more lead time you give yourself — and your new base — the smoother those processes go.

Moving soon? Armed Forces Bank moves with you.

With physical branch locations and on-base ATMs across 10 states, Armed Forces Bank is built for military families who move. Talk to us before your PCS — not after.

 

Up next - Episode 2: Planning the Move

HHG vs. DITY (PPM) moves, on-base vs. off-base, using a DITY move calculator — and what you should absolutely NOT do right after getting orders.