It’s no secret that military families move A LOT. My family has averaged a new duty station every three years, and every single one of those moves over the last decade has been overseas or coming back from overseas. If you think a stateside PCS is stressful, try packing up your entire life and moving it across an ocean on a timeline you didn’t choose.
I won’t sugarcoat it. I’ve cried in a half-packed kitchen. I’ve watched my kids say goodbye to friends they’d just finally made. I’ve dealt with movers who packed a full trash can (yes, really) and shipments that arrived damaged. And I’ve also gotten better at this with every move but not because it gets easier, exactly, but because I’ve learned what actually matters and what to let go of.
These are the PCS tips I wish someone had handed me at the beginning. Some of them you’ve probably heard before. Some of them, I promise, you haven’t.
Before Anything Else: Flexibility Is Not Optional
I want to say this upfront because it’s the most important thing I can tell you: things will go wrong. I’m not being pessimistic. I’m being honest. Moving companies lose things. Orders get delayed. Housing falls through. The weather doesn’t care about your timeline.
The families who survive PCS moves with their sanity intact are the ones who’ve learned to hold their plans loosely and find the laugh in the chaos. Make your plan, do your prep, and then be genuinely okay with adjusting it. That mindset will carry you further than any checklist.
Start Purging the Moment You Get Orders
This is my favorite tip and the one I preach constantly. The second you hear the word “orders,” start going room by room and purging. I touch every single item in our house before a PCS. Every drawer, every closet, every cabinet.
I donate what I can, trash what I can’t, and sell anything worth selling. Beyond the mental relief of moving with less stuff, it helps keep you under your weight allowance which matters more than people realize until they’re standing on a scale at TMO.
Start early. Don’t try to do it all in a week. Give yourself time to make thoughtful decisions instead of panicked ones.
Keep Every Original Box
Our garage looks ridiculous. I know this. But we have held onto original boxes for every TV, gaming console, computer, and major appliance we own and it has paid off every single time.
The night before packers arrive, my husband and I go through and pack all of our big-ticket items back into their original boxes ourselves. We document each item working (video it, get the serial number) before it goes in. Some moving companies want to witness this, so just ask them ahead of time what their preference is. Either way, having that original packaging is peace of mind you can’t put a price on.
Schedule TMO the Day You Get Hard Orders
PCS season is brutal. If you are moving between May and August, you are competing with hundreds of other military families for the same moving dates. You cannot schedule your TMO (Transportation Management Office) movers until you have hard orders in hand so the moment those orders are official, get on the phone or online and lock in your date.
I’m a planner by nature, so I typically have a rough timeline sketched out long before orders are finalized: when we need to leave, when packers need to come, what the road trip looks like. Having that framework ready means I can act immediately when the time comes instead of scrambling.
One more thing: use a personal device to schedule, not a government computer or tablet. DoD network security restrictions can interfere with scheduling systems and cause unnecessary headaches.
Hand-Carry Your Records — Every Single Time
I mean this with all the kindness in my heart: do not trust the military to transfer your records.
Go to your doctor’s office. Go to the school. Go to every provider and institution that has records relevant to your family. Request copies, get them on a disc if possible, and hand-carry them. I keep ours in what I call a “Go Binder” which is a dedicated binder with every important document our family might need, that travels with us, not in the shipment. Side note – make sure you carry this binder inside if staying somewhere overnight because vehicles get broken into or stolen. You do not want every important document to be left for the taking. (I go a step further and carry mine in these fireproof bags but I’ll post later about my go binder.)
I’ve seen families arrive at a new duty station with no medical records, no school records, and no backup. Don’t be that family. Protect your own paperwork.
Check Your Prescriptions Early
Get ahead of this one. Before your PCS, make sure you have at least a 90-day supply of any prescription medications your family takes. If your insurance limits how far ahead you can fill, ask your provider for a paper prescription you can take to a new pharmacy.
Establishing care with a new provider at a new duty station takes time … sometimes a lot of it. You don’t want to arrive somewhere new and immediately be scrambling for a medication that someone in your family can’t go without. This is one of those things that feels like a small detail until it isn’t.
Create a “Do Not Pack” Room
This was the first PCS tip I ever learned from another spouse, and I have used it on every single move since.
In the days before packers arrive, I designate one room (usually an emptied-out bedroom) as the “Do Not Pack” room. Everything that needs to come with us in the car or isn’t going in the shipment goes in there: important documents, medications, things the kids need for the road, our laptop, chargers. I put a big “X” on the door with tape and a clear sign that says “DO NOT PACK.”
When the moving crew arrives, I walk each person through the house and specifically point out that room. I make sure they hear me. I remind them again during the pack-out if needed.
Start moving things into that room at least a week out. As you go through the house and think of something you don’t want packed, it goes straight in there. By the time movers arrive, you’ve already thought of most of it.
Plan Your Meals a Month Out
I know this sounds like a stretch, but stick with me.
A month before your PCS, take a real inventory of your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. Plan your meals around what you already have. The goal is to use up as much as possible before you move so you’re not throwing away a full pantry of food on move-out day.
Whatever’s left over, I gather it all up, take a picture, and post it to the base yard sale page as “FREE — first come, first serve, set on porch.” It disappears fast. Do this the last full day you’re in the house. As for meal planning tools, a simple weekly meal planner, even a free printable or a notes app on your phone is all you really need to stay on track.
Empty Every Single Garbage Can
Of all the tips on this list, this is the one that gets the most dramatic reaction when I share it because yes, movers will pack a full trash can if you let them.
We empty every garbage can in the house before pack-out. We keep one out (tucked in the Do Not Pack room) for the remaining days in the house. Everything else gets emptied and either packed flat or nested inside something else.
If you are moving OCONUS, this is especially critical. Your household goods will be in a crate on a boat for 60 to 90 days. Rotting garbage in a sealed crate is not something you want to discover when it arrives at your new home. Trust me on this one.
Document Everything Before the Movers Touch It
This has become non-negotiable for us after one too many damage claims. Walk through your home with your phone before the crew arrives and take detailed video of every room, every piece of furniture, every item of value. Get close-ups of any existing damage so it’s clearly documented.
Make sure the inventory forms the movers fill out accurately reflect your belongings. Review them carefully before you sign. Keep copies of everything. If something arrives damaged, you’ll need that documentation and having it makes the claims process so much less painful.
Take Care of Your Family’s Emotional Needs, Not Just the Logistics
This is the part of PCS prep that doesn’t show up on most checklists, and I think it should.
Everyone in your family is going to handle this stress differently. When my kids were younger they acted out in ways that frustrated me until I reminded myself that they didn’t have the adult tools to process what was happening. When they were older, the grief looked different … quieter, or angrier, depending on the kid. Neither version was easy.
We’ve made it a point to honor the transition, not just survive it. Before one of our moves, we planned a road trip specifically around things our kids had never gotten to do. We stopped at bucket-list places. We swam in a great pool. We gave them something to look forward to instead of just something to leave behind. Once we arrived at our new location, we made getting outside and meeting neighbors a daily priority. They made friends within the first two days.
As for me, my anxiety runs high during PCS season. I’ve learned to be intentional about my coping strategies during those weeks: working out, sleeping when I’m tired, reading, leaning on what my therapist has taught me. Figure out what keeps you grounded and protect that, even in the middle of the chaos. You can’t take care of your family if you’re running on empty.
You’re Not Alone in This
PCSing is one of the most disruptive, exhausting, and … if you can find the grace in it … growth-producing things military families go through. There is a learning curve, and no move is perfect, but you do get better at it.
This post is part of a series. If you’re preparing for an overseas PCS specifically, start with Your Overseas PCS Timeline: What Happens First for a breakdown of shipment types, flight planning, and what to expect. And if you need to ship your POV, I’ve got a full updated guide on How to Ship Your POV Through the VPC — including 2026 updates, FASTPASS info, and everything you need to bring to your appointment.
Drop your questions in the comments. I read every single one.
NOTE: This post was originally published in July 2021. It has been updated with expanded content and current information.
Leave a Reply