Approximately 65 percent of all Department of Defense household goods moves occur between May 15 and Aug. 1. What can you do to ensure a smooth move? Plan!
With the decline in moving companies' capacity and Department of Defense budget cuts, the sooner you start working with the local Personal Property Office the greater your chance of getting the desired pack out date.
Don't wait until a week or two before the desired pack out date to complete the process in www.move.mil. Enter all your data and paperwork now. For Navy information on getting started with the move process, go to www.navsup.navy.mil/household.
Another tip is to organize your house and belongings. Go through all your rooms and boxes from the last move to make sure you still need the items. If it hasn't been worn or used in the last year, do you still need it? Sort your items by the type of shipment: household shipment; unaccompanied baggage, if authorized; professional gear; and what is going in your suitcase or car. By sorting you may find out what needs to be sold, donated or disposed of. Keep in mind, if you exceed your authorized weight allowance it can be expensive!
Household goods terms and what they mean:
- Household shipment is your main shipment: furniture, dishes,
washer/dryer, BBQ grill, outdoor furniture, children's play furniture, majority of your clothes, etc.
- Unaccompanied baggage, if authorized: this is the small shipment of items that you will need to survive until your big household good shipment arrives. This is normally only authorized with overseas orders.
Items to include would be enough kitchen ware/dishes to use daily (not your china), crib, clothes, some uniforms, some DVDs not your entire library, etc.
- Professional gear: Professional books and equipment includes household goods in a member's possession needed for the performance of official duties at the next or a later destination. Service members' items could be work manuals, awards, specialty work uniforms (Band uniforms, navy divers, flight suits, helmets, chaplain's vestments and other specialized apparel), reference materials, instruments, tools, and equipment peculiar to technicians, mechanics. A spouse may be authorized professional gear for a licensed profession, i.e. doctor, dentist, lawyer or community support activities at the next or a later destination. An example would be a command Ombudsman. Any other profession may be considered if the appropriate documentation can be provided. Selling Avon or Pampered Chef does not count as licensed profession.
- Excluded from PBP&E are commercial products for sale/resale used in conducting business; sports equipment; and office, household or shop fixtures or furniture (such as bookcases, study/computer desks, file cabinets, and racks) of any kind even though it may be used in conjunction with PBP&E.