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By JENNIFER MATTSON NCO Journal

About every two to three years, Soldiers uprootrom their current duty station to another one,sometimes overseas.

o help make the process smooth, the U.S. Army Military Surace Deployment and Distribution Com-mand overseas moves or service members across the

Department o Deense.Command Sgt. Maj. Cedric Tomas, command

sergeant major o SDDC, said the command acts worksto contract out individual Soldier’s permanent changeo duty station.

“We set up the contract to get the carriers to go outand move the Soldiers household goods,” Tomas said.“Te contracts will do the packing, the loading anddeliver it to the location.”

When Soldiers receive orders to move, they shouldlink up with the transportation oce or visit the move.

mil website, Tomas said. Te peak season or allmilitary moves is between May and August; during thtime, it is critical that Soldiers who receive orders visitthe website or their transportation oce as soon as posible to help start coordinate their moves.

“As soon as they receive PCS orders, they need torequest a pickup and delivery date as soon as possible,Tomas said. “It will give them a better chance o get-

ting the dates that they want. Tey can’t wait until thelast minute. I they wait until the last minute, there’s agood chance they won’t get the dates that they want anthey’ll have to accept what’s available. I you wait untilthe last minute, your stu may be our weeks behindyou, especially i you’re going overseas.”

Tough early planners do tend to get the dates theyrequest, all Soldiers need to be exible with their movdates and list alternates. Soldiers should also create apersonal calendar, a sample o one is available on movmil, and compile phone numbers and a household

goods checklist.

A typical move coordi-nated with SDDC can takanywhere rom a coupleo days to two months,depending on whether ornot the move is stateside,overseas or during the peaseason, Tomas said.

I Soldiers are unavail-able during their movedates, they need to arrangor the proper paper-work—to include a power

o attorney—so that arepresentative, includingtheir spouse, may act ontheir behal with the mov-

Tips for moving inthe militar

D san S. 1s

Cass Dmus Canz, ansuc a U.S. Amy

D San Sc, c-

cs Pv. Spn CbMay 8, 2009. PHOTO COURTES

OF U.S. ARMY

TOOLKIT

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ing contractors.Te move.mil website also has a calculator to help Soldiers fgure

out how much weight their household might be. Weight restrictionsare in place and are based on a Soldier’s grade.

Te move.mil website has online training that NCOs can use tobecome amiliar with the moving process — to help them when it’stime or their move and to help their junior Soldiers PCS.

“NCOs have to understand the move process to better help theirtroops,” Tomas said.

Next MoNth: iN-gArriSoN leADerShiP

Moving tips

Fw s ps nsu a sm-

mv dun pak mvn sasn

(May u Auus):

Ca a psna mv canda

w cckss, pn ss, -d

ss and nks

  Yu tanspan ofc yu

psna ppy sppn fc

s yu pmay pn cnac

cusm svc

  onc yu ds, mmday

sa yu mvn pcss a

b canc ck n yu p-

d pckup and dvy das

  rqusd pckup and dvy

das a n cnfmd un

cdnad w yu tSP

  Pack, pckup and dvy das

a scdud n wkdays n

wc yu yu dsnad

psnav mus b avaab

bwn 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

A quck md sman

yu w s cacua 1,000

punds p m. An w

sman can b und a

move.mil

Can qus a w

psna ppy spmn

na v yu w n-

mn

  Move.mil s Dns Psna

Ppy Sysm, DPS, pacn

yu n dc cnac w yutSP mana yu psna

ppy mv. i s mpan

kp yu pn numb

and ma addss nman

updad

For additional inormation, visit: http://bit.ly/ 

MilMove

SDDC

will not ship

the ollowing as

part o your household

goods:  Personal baggage

  Automobiles, airplanes, mobile homes,

camper trailers, horse

trailers and arming equip-

ment

  Live animals

  Building materials

  Privately owned, live ammuni-

tion

  Hazardous articles, i.e. explo-

sives, poisons,

propane gas

tanks

Local laws may alsoregulate and prohibit

items or transport

that are not included

above.

Packing up our house

Do not transportpests, hazardous

materials or il-

legal items rom

one duty location

to another.

Follow weight al-

lowances. These

are based on rank

and vary depending

on whether depen-

dents are accompa-

nying you.

Typically, a mini-mum o $100

is charged or

being over your

weight allow-

ance.

When shipping frearms, you must comply with local

and state laws as well as the Bureau o Alcohol, Tobac-

co, Firearms and Explosives regulations. Usually, you

will have to make the frearm inoperable and ensure the

specs are written on the inventory.

Resource or ship-

ping or storing

your POV can be

ound at http://j.

mp/movePOV

Helpul web sites:

State Wine Laws: www.wineinstitute.org

ATF regulations: www.at.gov

DOD household goods move: move.mil

Weight estimator orm: http://j.mp/WeightAllow