A permanent change of station is easier when you work from one list. This is a general planning order, written by an active-duty soldier. The week markers are suggestions only. Your orders, your unit and your installation transportation office set the real dates and the rules that apply to you.
As soon as you have orders
- Read the orders and any amendments end to end. Note the report date and reporting instructions.
- Contact your unit and the installation transportation office to start the move process. Write down who you spoke to and when.
- Reach out to your gaining-unit sponsor and ask about housing, schools and the area.
- Decide what ships, what travels with you, and what you sell, donate or store.
About eight weeks out
- Photograph and record high-value items with serial numbers.
- Request school, medical, dental and pet records.
- Give notice on housing or arrange a sublet, if applicable.
- Plan your travel route, lodging and pet arrangements.
- Start a receipt log and keep every receipt.
About four weeks out
- Confirm pack-out and pickup dates in writing.
- Set up mail forwarding and update your address list.
- Schedule utility shut-off and set-up dates.
- Confirm vehicle shipping or driving plans.
About two weeks out
- Cancel or transfer subscriptions and memberships.
- Pack a personal-travel bag: documents, medications, valuables, chargers, a few days of clothing.
- Re-confirm dates and phone numbers for everyone involved in the move.
Pack-out and pickup
- Stay present and walk through with the crew lead. Photograph rooms before and after.
- Keep your copy of every form you sign.
- Keep orders, IDs and key documents on you, not in the shipment.
Arrival and the first month
- Report as directed by your orders.
- Be present for delivery. Check items against your inventory and note damage before the crew leaves.
- Photograph the home condition at move-in.
- Submit reimbursement paperwork using your saved receipts.
- Register vehicles and licenses as your state requires, enroll children in school, and update your address with finance, insurance, banks and employers.
Want this as printable pages? The PCS Command Binder is eight printable PDF checklists and logs (timeline, documents, household inventory, contacts log, move-day checklist, expense tracker, family and pets sheet, arrival checklist) plus a CSV expense tracker. $12, one time.
More PCS guides
- Military PCS checklist PDF: what to print and what to put in it
- DITY / PPM move checklist: the records worth keeping
- PCS household inventory: how to record your belongings before the move
- Military moving expense tracker: keep receipts from day one
- PCS with kids and pets: a practical checklist
- What to put in a PCS binder: a simple setup
Rules, allowances and deadlines change and depend on your orders. Confirm them with your transportation office, finance office and official sources such as militaryonesource.mil and the Joint Travel Regulations. This page is general organizing guidance, not legal, financial or tax advice.