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    • Relocation Assistance

    Regular Army: Active Duty

    Benefit Fact Sheet

    Summary

    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.

    Eligibility

    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.

    Benefit Highlights

    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 My Training Hub 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

    Schedule Your Move

    Use Defense Personal Property System (DPS) to schedule your move with a transportation company.

    • Visit PCSmyPOV to schedule an appointment at your assigned Vehicle Processing Center.

    Get Ready for Moving Day

    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.

    Additional Information

    For more information on the Relocation Readiness Program, please visit:
    http://www.myarmyonesource.com/FamilyProgramsandServices/FamilyPrograms/RelocationReadinessProgram/Default.aspx

    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/

    Document Review Date: 24 September 2019