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Quarters Sweet Quarters: When Does the PCS Begin?

Editor's Note: Please help me welcome back columnist Sarah Young as she allows us to tag along on her PCS adventures this summer. Welcome back Sarah!

 

When we met, I was an Army wife embarking on her fifth deployment. When we said, "See you later," I promised that I would stop by again, maybe during a Permanent Change of Station (PCS). Well, here I am, and I am so excited to see you and share another adventure!

As I write this, I am planning Team Young's sixth (yes, you read that correctly) PCS, and we are really excited about this one. I hold in my hand, sweet soldier's orders to Fort Gordon, Georgia, and for those of you who don't know, that is only four hours from my hometown of Columbus, Georgia. This will be the closest I have been to my home since 2003.

When sweet soldier gave me the good news over the phone in the best southern accent he could muster, he said, "You call your mama and tell her that you're comin' home!"

It was an exciting moment! I couldn't believe it finally happened. After 12 years of being married to this Army and having been all over this country, we are finally being given both of our first choices all wrapped up in one nice little duty station.

So sweet soldier has been home for well over a year now, and I find myself tapping my watch and saying, "Aren't we on the patch chart? Don't you have someplace to go? Is there at least a TDY or field exercise coming?" Within our branch and units, that answer is a resounding, no. The interesting thing is that I find myself tapping my watch at about the two year mark at any duty station and saying, "Isn't it time to go? What's on your list of potential jobs?"

So then I started thinking. When does the PCS really begin?

For most normal military families, including mine, the PCS usually begins when you receive your orders. Makes sense, right? We don't get too excited when our branch gives us a list of potential duty stations and jobs. We may not get what we want. If we get what we want, then what if our orders are rescinded? What if there are no services for my exceptional family member? Then orders come through, but sometimes they still get changed.

So no matter what happens, in most cases, the PCS begins with orders sending sweet soldier to a new duty station.

Not this time.

This time, my PCS began when I stood in my kitchen and for the first time ever, I shook my fists in the air and shouted to sweet soldier and mother Army, "I JUST WANT TO GO HOME!"

It was then that mother Army smiled down upon me as if to say, 'Yes, my child. Because you have endured five deployments, four tattoos, three kids, two wars and, well, Kansas, I will give you the desire of your heart." It was a shining moment for me, and I am truly excited to once again share my adventure with you!

So, for the next few months, we are going to talk about moving halfway across the continent with the soldier, three kids, a dog and 15,000 pounds of household goods. We will talk about closing on a house in record time, getting cleared out of on-post housing, getting a new job, integrating into yet another new community, but this time, off-post. And we will do it all with some sweet, southern style and grace!

I am really looking forward to sharing this adventure with you, and as always, feel free to ask questions here or find me on social media. It is going to be a great summer! I can feel it!

May the moving gods smile upon you and may only the junk that you don't like get broken . . . sby

 

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