Benefit Fact Sheet
Under USC 10 §1056, help is available for Military members and, where applicable, their Families to manage service-required relocation by providing standardized information and services through various coordinated relocation assistance programs.
Active duty Soldiers who make a permanent change of station are eligible to access Army Community Service (ACS) relocation services available on Army installations. Additionally, active duty Soldiers are entitled to receive permanent change of station (PCS) allowances to help manage the cost of the move.
The Relocation Readiness Program is a congressionally mandated program designed to ease the personal and Family stressors military Families experience with a permanent change of station by providing assistance, counseling, education, and training throughout all phases of the relocation process.
Each Army installation ACS Center provides a support staff, trained in the techniques and delivery of professional relocation assistance. Each relocation readiness program offers the following services to assist Soldiers and their Family members moving to or from the particular Army installation:
-
Destination area information and preparation prior to relocation, emphasizing moving costs, housing costs and availability, childcare, Spouse employment opportunities, cultural adaptation and community orientation.
-
Counseling is available for financial management, home buying and selling, renting, stress management, property management, and shipment and storage of household goods, motor vehicles, and pets.
-
Settling-in services, focusing on available government living quarters, private housing, childcare, Spouse employment assistance information, cultural adaptation, Hearts Apart for Waiting Families, liaison to United States Citizenship Services (USCIS), Sponsorship training support and community orientation.
-
Home finding services, with emphasis on services for locating adequate, affordable temporary and permanent housing
Information for each individual relocation program is managed through a central, computerized information system, MilitaryINSTALLATIONS , a Department of Defense (DoD ) program which provides Soldiers and Family members with extensive updated information about military installations worldwide prior to departure from their current station. MilitaryINSTALLATIONS information includes employment, housing, childcare, medical facilities, education, and support services. The MilitaryINSTALLATIONS can be accessed at ( https://www.militaryonesource.mil/ ). This web-based program also offers the popular Plan-My-Move fill-in Calendars with extensive reminders and guidance for each step of the moving cycle. The newest service is Electronic Sponsorship. The MilLife Learning works in coordination with all the military service Family Centers, providing specific information for each service to assist transferring individuals/Families obtain sponsorship, as well as online training for those individuals willing to serve as a sponsor.
To help manage the cost of the move, the core PCS reimbursement programs include:
|
Program |
Eligibility |
Description |
|
Dislocation Allowance (DLA) |
CONUS and OCONUS |
DLA is intended as partial reimbursement for miscellaneous moving expenses. DLA is not authorized for the first PCS from home unless dependents move; the last PCS (separation or retirement); member without dependents assigned to government quarters; or transfer to nearby PDS (unless move of household goods preauthorized). |
|
Move-In Housing Allowance (MIHA) |
OCONUS only |
MIHA reimburses a member for overseas costs associated with living in privately owned or privately leased quarters. Focuses on one-time rent related expenses, modification of homes for security protection, and the initial cost of making a home habitable. Rates vary by currency rates and location. |
|
Per Diem Allowance |
CONUS and OCONUS |
Per diem allowance is designed to partially reimburse the Soldiers for lodging and meal expenses en-route to the new duty station. For travel by POC (auto), per diem for the member is the flat Standard CONUS rate. Per diem for dependents is ¾ the member's applicable rate for each dependent age 12 or older, and ½ the member's rate for each dependent under age 12. The military uses 350 miles per day as the standard one-day travel distance. In computing per diem days, take the Official Government Mileage between duty stations and divide by 350. An additional day is allowed with a remainder greater than 50. |
|
Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation (MALT) |
CONUS |
MALT is the mileage reimbursement paid when a member and/or the member's Family drive to their new duty station, based on the Official Military Table of Distances. MALT rates may be paid for up to 2 vehicles without special approval and may be advanced 80% prior to move (and paid by travel voucher). If orders do not deem POC travel most advantageous, per diem will generally be paid for air travel time with excess time considered as leave, and MALT and per diem will be limited to the cost, to the government, of the use of an airline ticket. |
|
Household Goods (HHG) Transportation |
CONUS |
Authorized transport weight varies by grade and whether or not there are Family members.
|
|
Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA) |
OCONUS only |
TLA is helps cover the cost of temporary housing and meals incurred while awaiting permanent lodging. TLA is figured according to the member's pay grade, number of Family members, actual quarters cost, availability of cooking facilities, and the local per diem rate. |
|
Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) |
CONUS only |
TLE partly reimburses relocating members for the cost of meals and lodging incurred when temporary housing is needed - Please check latest JTR for current information. |
|
Advance Basic Pay |
CONUS and OCONUS |
Advance Basic Pay is similar to an interest-free loan for a PCS with military salary as collateral. Repayment is normally made in 12 equal installments beginning the month after it is drawn. |
|
Advance BAH |
CONUS and OCONUS |
Advance BAH is an advance on the normal BAH and will be deducted from monthly pay. The advance must be approved by the unit commander and is usually limited to 3 months BAH CONUS and 12 months OCONUS. Request through form DA 4187. |
|
Advance OHA |
OCONUS |
Advance OHA is an advance against any projected OHA to cover the difference between the cost of non-base rental housing and the BAH. Advances are usually limited to 12 months' OHA |
Official DoD Customer Moving Portal: Move.Mil
Plan Your Move
-
When in doubt, give your local personal property office a call.
-
Research your new base on https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/
-
Learn what options there are for transporting your household goods
-
Visit Military One Source to learn more about coping with relocation and housing issues
-
Attend an info session (briefing) at your local personal property office
-
Visit PCSmyPOV if you plan to ship a privately owned vehicle (POV): e.g., car, truck, motorcycle, etc.
Schedule Your Move
Use Defense Personal Property System (DPS) to schedule your move with a transportation company.
-
Sign In to DPS to schedule your move online (Find out if you’re eligible to use DPS to schedule your upcoming move).
-
If you're doing a joint move (a.k.a., a dual military move with your active duty Spouse), please visit your local personal property office to get help scheduling your move.
-
Visit PCSmyPOV to schedule an appointment at your assigned Vehicle Processing Center.
Get Ready for Moving Day
-
Contact your local personal property office if anything goes wrong with your moving company the day of your move
-
Review Moving Tips so that you have a successful move
-
Review Vehicle Prep Tips to get your POV ready for shipment or storage
Settling In
As you’re unpacking you might notice that some items got lost or broken in transit. Not only should you file claims to receive compensation for your damaged items, make sure you review your moving company so that other Family’s benefit from your experience.
-
Learn how to review your moving company in DPS (Customer Satisfaction Survey)
-
Review the Vehicle Claims Process in case your POV is damaged during shipment or storage
For more information on the Relocation Readiness Program, please visit:
https://www.armymwr.com/programs-and-services/personal-assistance/relocation-readiness
In addition, contact information for Relocation Assistance offices on Army installations may be located on the Military Resource Locator Library on MyArmyBenefits:
https://myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/benefit-library/resource-locator
Defense Travel Management:
https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/Docs/perdiem/JTR.pdf
DoD Customer Moving Portal:
https://move.mil/
Army Regulation 608-1, Army Community Service:
https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN6228_AR608-1_Web_Final.pdf