Editor’s Note: Please welcome our guest blogger this week, Army spouse Holly Bates who recently made a PCS move from Hawaii to Georgia.

PCS can be a busy time. Seasoned spouses know that the best way to manage the chaos is to put it in a book - all of it.

This so-called, PCS bible is the lifeline between your current duty station and your new life awaiting you across the country or around the world. I build a book every time my family moves and model it after my hubby's "Love Me" book that documents his career highlights. Every document is held in a document protector. I use dividers, post-it notes and even print a colorful cover sheet to top it off.

You should begin building your binder as soon as you receive orders. In fact, orders are the first document you should have in there. Ready to build your own PCS binder? Here is a list of documents I include and organizational tips for a binder that is not only full of essential information but also organized well enough to help you find that information in a flash.

Basics: Smaller families can fit most of their information in a single, 1-inch thick, three-ring binder. Larger families may see their binders grow to 4 or more inches. Purchase sheet protectors with three holes to put in the binder as well as sheets with divider tabs attached. I also keep pencils, pens, a notebook and post it notes in my binder.   

Tabs: Your tabs should be labeled to match the documents in that section of the book. Here are my labels and what to include in that section.

Orders

You can’t give notice to on-post housing without a copy of military orders. You can’t make an appointment for transportation without orders. You need a copy for the on-post vet to obtain your free, 10-day health certificate. This is especially true if you have to make the move without your soldier. Orders are the number one document you will need for everything, everywhere.

List of Important Contacts

This is one is kind of self-explanatory, but may include airlines, hotels, car rental companies, family, local friends, schools, clinic/hospital, pharmacy, new unit staff duty, useful websites, utilities, insurance companies, banking institutions, veterinary clinics, etc. (Note: I also recommend keeping some of these numbers in your smartphone Contacts list. It makes calling easier, if your binder isn’t nearby.

Travel Documents

Include: flight itinerary/confirmation, airline phone numbers, airline miles account numbers for each traveler (you never know when you’ll accumulate enough points for a free flight!). I also keep our passports here until we leave for the airport. Then I move them to the outer pocket of my backpack along with printed copies of our tickets.  

Make hotel reservations as soon as possible. This becomes especially important when you’re driving across country through remote areas. Don’t wing it and assume you can find a room on the road – especially if you have three kids, two dogs and a hamster with you. Hotels have rules and often this limits the number of people per room and can mean no pets allowed. If you’re planning on renting vehicles, keep copies of the rental reservation and agreement. While this expense will not be reimbursed by the government, you may be able to receive a credit on your federal taxes for the year.

HHG/POV Shipping Documents

Keep copies of POV shipping forms (with appropriate POA if someone other than the servicemember is picking it up on the other end). This includes the inspection sheet used by the shipping company to annotate any scratches, dents or damage.

You will want to label a separate section for household goods paperwork. If you have any high dollar value items, keep a working list of the brand/model and serial numbers. This is helpful not just for a PCS move but in case you are ever burglarized you will have an exact record of what you are missing to give to the police. In the past I have kept a list of each of the 300 DVDS we owned and shipped in our household goods.

Medical/Dental Records

Old-school Soldiers and Spouses were used to hand-carrying their medical records between duty stations. Now that the military has gone digital, many clinics/hospitals will not provide original records. However, if you have any special needs, (i.e., off-post providers, infertility records, EFMP records, etc.), you’ll
probably want to request a copy for your new PCM/providers. Make sure to plan ahead as it may take a few weeks to get copies from patient administration. This happened to me when we PCS’d from Germany back to the U.S. They kept the original copy and I had to request a copy.

Most dependents receive dental care from a civilian provider. When you get ready to move (or at your last cleaning), let the office staff know you are getting ready to move and request one copy of your/your child’s dental records/x-rays.

You’ll also want a list of prescription medications each family member uses and the expiration date, especially if you’re taking a month’s leave between duty stations. You don’t want to get stuck in hundreds of miles from a military doc with an expired prescription for a medicine you take daily. If possible, make a visit to your PCM shortly before you move to renew/extend any prescriptions. Most are willing to send you off with a 90-day supply if you explain you’re moving to ensure you have enough to carry you over
until you get settled with a new PCM.

School Records

Nothing is more frustrating than moving your child to a new school, especially in the middle of a school year. Most schools require a two-week notification to prepare the sealed envelope of your child’s school record to hand carry to your next school. It’s good to also ask for copies of any non-standardized tests to demonstrate any of your child’s advanced abilities. If your child is currently enrolled in a Talented and Gifted program that doesn’t always guarantee they will slide into the program at the new school. In this case, you may also want letters of recommendation from your child’s teacher and/or counselor regarding any afterschool enrichment programs to which they currently belong (band, chorus, Lego robotics, chess, etc.).

In addition, you’ll definitely want to carry a copy of your child’s shot records. This may also be placed under medical records. Some states will not let you register your child without proof of vaccinations, especially pre-k and kindergarten students.

CYSS Records

While talking about the kiddos, let’s not forget their childcare records. If you are utilizing
an on-post Child Development Center, School Age Services program or Child-
Youth Sports those records need to be brought to the new duty station as well. Supposedly, every post is linked (similar to digital medical records). In my experience, though, it is always best to stop by the
Central Enrollment to obtain a copy of your child’s record. It will prevent the headache of having to fill out the same paperwork again. Besides, the physical exam for sports/enrollment is good for one year from the date of the exam.

EFMP Records

Family Members enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program also require special handling. You’ll definitely want to hand carry medical records from all doctors and therapists. You’ll want a copy of their latest IEP from their current school. You may even ask your providers for any recommendations for your new location. They may be able to provide references for fellow providers and therapists.

Civilian Personnel Records (GS Employees)

You should receive a copy of your last evaluation before leaving your GS position. You’ll need this copy to bring to the Civilian Personnel Office, if you seek federal employment at your new post. In addition, stop by your state unemployment office before leaving to obtain information concerning claiming
unemployment while you seek employment at your new duty station. It may take a few months to get hired back on with the military. Also, keep an updated copy of your resume in your binder. You never know when you’ll need it! Network, network, network. You’re new job may come from word-of-mouth in the most unlikely places!

Veterinary Records

This section applies to fellow parents of beloved fur babies. It is possible to move halfway across the globe with your pets, but you’ll need to do advance research to ensure their vaccinations (rabies, FAVN, etc.) are up-to-date and you meet any country-specific requirements (i.e., Germany bans some breeds). Most of our pets’ annual needs (vaccinations, spaying) we’ve met on-post because (a) it’s usually cheaper, (b) consistency of records, and (c) most military vets are already familiar with the specific requirements for flying to Europe, Hawaii or Asia. Plus, we’ve always gotten the 10-day USDA Health Certificate required by airlines done by the military vet for free! Prior planning allowed us to fly our
14-year-old cats as excess baggage from Texas to Hawaii without any quarantine. We walked out of the airport with them. It took less than 30 minutes to clear the USDA Quarantine Station. I felt really sorry for the young couple arriving as I was leaving. They didn’t have a trip binder and found out they would need to quarantine their pet at a significant cost.

P.S., you’ll want to notify the airline as soon as possible that you will be flying with pets. Some have limited space and/or temperature restrictions during winter/summertime, which also happens to be peak PCS season.

DITY/Partial DITY Moves

I admit, all our moves have been CONUS-OCONUS and back. So, I have no direct experience with DITY moves, except what I’ve heard from friends and family. Because you are assuming responsibility for your move, which will be scrutinized by the military for reimbursement, you’ll want to keep every receipt related to renting a moving truck, weighing said truck empty and full as well as any vehicles you’ll be hauling. Ensure you empty the vehicle of any removable items (car seats, jumper cables, etc.) before weighing. In the military, it is important to get/keep everything in writing. The same applies when
you are moving.

As a military spouse with several PCS moves under my belt, my trip binder is the one thing that keeps me sane during the upheaval of a military move. Conversely, it also drives me insane with all the details I need to track—flight itineraries, hotel/car rental arrangements.

While not all moving related expenses can be claimed on the travel voucher, many can be listed as moving expenses on your state and/or federal taxes. For example, pets are considered household goods. You can’t claim the cost of shipping Rover or Fluffy on your military travel voucher, but you can on your federal taxes. I’m no tax expert, so refer to your tax preparer or the IRS website (www.irs.gov) for more information.

Let’s face it. Our service member has a lot on his/her plate as they clear their unit and CIF, arrange transportation, visit travel offices, as well as various farewell luncheons and dinners. And in all fairness, I don’t mess with his Army briefcase, which holds all his military records. My binder is a supplement to this because I’m sure I’m like many other Spouses—I like to have a hand in when the movers come, what date we’ll clear housing, how quickly can I get a Statement of Non-Availability to enjoy Mai Tais on the beach in Waikiki. (Note: This last part is absolutely a must when leaving Hawaii!)

*This list is certainly not comprehensive and may not meet all your Family’s needs. Feel free to add/subtract what suits you. Some additional suggestions I solicited from friends:

-If your family is ESL, get and keep a copy of your child’s test results. Without paperwork in hand, a new school may re-test your child and the results can vary. In the meantime, they may be unnecessarily placed within an ESL

-If moving to Alaska, make your ferry reservation early, to include all necessary cabins, which are reimbursable on your travel voucher. A friend planned ahead before they even had paper orders in hand and was able to avoid sleeping on the floor in the public areas of the ferry for two days.

The best advice you can get is to do the research and be prepared. Every PCS location has its quirks and requirements and if you know they are coming, and are ready, you will have a much smoother, calmer, PCS experience.