The past year has flown by remarkably fast despite being indoors and social distancing for most of it. The normal way of making friends through activities with shared interests or when outside walking around has changed. The social distancing guidance of masking up, maintaining distance, and limiting gatherings do not provide the traditional ways of meeting new people. As if starting over isn’t difficult anyway, to meet new people and make new friends, you have to get creative.

Be Flexible.

Meeting new friends in the current environment is not traditional. As much of military life, flexibility is key to making new friends. Much of the activities are virtual, which can be hard on extroverted individuals. Some effort will need to be made to seek out groups in a non-traditional way. The beauty of online events is no traffic, less need for a sitter, and more opportunities to check out different activities that you may not normally seek out. Be flexible and give yourself grace to meeting new people at your new duty station.

Still Say Hi

Just because you have to wear a mask or socially distant doesn’t mean that you can’t introduce yourself to your neighbors. Being a good neighbor is still appropriate. While it may be difficult to say hi when initially in restricted movement, consider writing cards introducing yourself and leaving them on your neighbors’ door, letting them know when you will be out of ROM. Something as simple as an introduction can be the foundation of a new friendship.

Technology is your friend.

Before PCSing during a pandemic, research on social media for base-specific groups. These groups can provide real-time information on-base housing, schools in the area, housing availability outside the base, and current base information. While in these groups asking about the area, consider asking if there are interest groups among the base-specific group. Maybe there is a meet-up group or running group. Maybe there is someone already there with common interests where you can talk as you navigate a PCS and build the foundation for a friendship before your arrival.

Virtual Meet Ups

Check out the base-specific social media pages for any virtual clubs. On base and off, local libraries have held various book and activity clubs for a variety of different topics.  If you enjoyed a book club at your last duty station, join the virtual book club. Or maybe you are looking to try something different like tea time or trivia night. Virtual meet-ups provide an opportunity for growth on personal interest. You won’t be meeting them in person, but you will be virtually meeting with others with similar interests.

Touch Base with Your Volunteer Group

While in-person activities are limited, if you were a volunteer with an organization prior to the pandemic, see if there is a branch at your new base. While they may not be holding in-person activities, they may still hold online activities or ways to volunteer at home. This can build a friend base in an environment you are familiar with and provide an outlet for the volunteering you have enjoyed in the past.

Spouse Clubs

The spouse club’s idea is to provide a social group for military spouses at each duty station. The common bond of military life is a stepping-off point. There are usually nominal membership costs involved, and these funds are typically used to provide food or activities to the group. In the current environment, the spouse clubs are doing virtual events like 80s nights, game nights, and exercise challenges. This provides an opportunity to meet new friends in a virtual environment.

Maintain Contact

Chances are, if this is not your first PCS, there may be someone at your new duty station that you have been stationed with before. That connection of a known entity can be an amazing starting point for developing a new start to your friendship.  Building on someone you already know or building on those casual connections is easier.

Manners in the Time of Pandemic

Currently, there is a federal requirement for masks on base when social distancing cannot be maintained. When meeting new people, ask what their comfort level is in regards to masking and social distance. Part of building trust is respecting your community’s wishes regarding the comfort level for mask-wearing and distancing.

Admittedly, it is additionally challenging to make friends in a world with social distancing rules. It’s in the name – social distancing. It can be done with some creativity and flexibility of exploring opportunities. Good luck with your PCS, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Have a suggestion on making friends at a new duty station? Let us know in the comments!

April is the Month of the Military Child.  Former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger established it in 1986. Sponsored by the Department of Defense Military Community and Family Policy, the month of the military child is a month dedicated to reflecting on the sacrifices and challenges military children face as part of military life.

April 15^th every year is Purple Up! For Military Kids day where people around the world wear purple to demonstrate their support of military children around the world. The color purple was chosen as the color is a mix of all the service branch colors – Air Force blue, Army green, Navy blue, Marine Corps red, and Coast Guard blue.

In celebration of the month of the military child, we asked some military children of the different service branches what military life meant to them, or what their favorite part of military life was. They were unabashedly honest about their thoughts. From ages 4 – 21, here are what military children from around the world shared.

L.E., age 21, Marine Corps – “I learned to appreciate the little things and the small moments because we knew that things could change in the blink of an eye. We learned that we never knew how much time we got with our friends or in one place so we learned to appreciate every second we had.”

C.E, age 20, Marine Corps – My favorite thing about military life is “getting to experience new people and places that a normal kid growing up doesn’t usually get to do or see. It definitely makes you well rounded.”

A.P., age 10, Marine Corps– “Military life means moving from friends and family. It’s also an adventure, and you get to see new places. What I like is meeting new people and seeing new places.”

K.M., age 13, Marine Corps – “[I have a] level of pride and getting to experience more than civilian kids,”

L.M., age 11, Marine Corps – “My favorite thin has been moving and making new friends.”

A.A., age 10, Army – “My favorite thing about military life is that you can live pretty much anywhere.”

R.D.S., age 10, Navy – “I like that I have lived around the world and that my dad gets to help serve the country.”

G.P., age 8, Marine Corps -“Military life sucks because you have to leave your friends when you move.”

R.T.S., age 8, Navy – “I feel special being a military child because my dad is important. We have been able to see a lot of things being in the military.”

R.R.S., age 8, Navy – “My favorite thing about military life is that I get to meet people from all around the world and country.”

M.J., age 8, Marine Corps – “I love that Daddy can protect us and keep us safe if a bad guy breaks in.”

A.W., age 8, Navy – “I like getting to see lots of places, and li

H.J., age 7, Marine Corps – “My favorite part of military life is the adventures I get to have with family and friends. Every time we move it is somewhere new and fun to explore.”

K.D., age 7, Marine Corps – “Oh that’s a hard one. I like being able to see all the Marine helicopters and vehicles that are on base every day.”

A.P, age 4, Marine Corps – “Military life means papa is always gone a lot.”

G.A., age 4, Army – “The best part about [military life] is watching the Army football game.”

There’s a central theme in these shared thoughts – while there are adventure and exploration involved in military life, there is a lot of leaving and being left behind. Thank you, military children, for being part of your military parent’s support network – it is not an easy task.

Punxsutawney Phil may have said 6 more weeks of winter, but with PCS time around the corner for some, military families’ minds have turned to spring cleaning. There is something therapeutic in clearing out a closet and going through that box you moved with two moves ago. Whether you are moving or not this summer, take a month to clean out clutter and organize your home makes moving the next time that much easier. If you are spring cleaning this year, consider using these items that you can get from your base Exchange to tidy up around your home.

1. Storage Tote Bags: These are the unsung heroes of many a move. These square bags come in a variety of sizes from small to extra large. Store quilts, blankets, and towels in them when you are not using them seasonally. Place seasonal clothing in them in a closet. This removes clutter from valuable drawer space, but the clear bags keep them in eyesight so you are prepared when the season is upon you again. And the best part, they slide easily into moving boxes. When you unpack them on the other end, you pull them out and are ready to use them.
2. Seasonal storage: Have ornaments, lights, and stockings? Put them all in one storage bin and label it for the holidays. Better yet, get specific containers for ornament storage to protect valuable and sentimental items. More into pumpkins, ghouls, and spider webs? Get a large storage bin to provide better protection than a cardboard box for a move. Labeling each tote will help you determine what everything is in your storage area at a quick glance. If you are moving, labeling will help you determine where to put it when you unwrap the non-descript brown paper the movers placed on it. And goodness knows it will be labeled “tote” and not “Halloween decorations.”
3. Binders: Yes, raid the school supply section for binders. Even if you aren’t moving, keep a list of high-value items updated each year, updating it during spring cleaning. If a high-value item breaks in a move, the amount provided by the moving company should be replacement value. It helps to have an updated link of the high-value item and the item number for this replacement. Keeping all high-value items in one location in a binder is paramount.
4. File folder: Every year update your families’ paperwork – make sure you have copies of marriage certificates, divorce decrees, any legal documents, passports, birth certificates, etc. Have them all in one place. This allows for easy reference if needed but also to ensures you have everything updated. Renew passports, as you are able to. Make sure you have enough copies of birth certificates, especially if you have a consular birth abroad certificate as these can take several weeks to process and receive a new copy if the original is lost.
5. Stamps/Stickers: Consider a family stamp or sticker to put on totes as you organize and spring clean. This makes it easy to identify what items you may have added to your household goods during a move, and what you may be able to thin out and purge If you have duplicates of.
6. Zip ties: This may sound silly, but hear me out. All those cords you have behind the tv, or the desk, can be messy. Zip ties are helpful to keep things clean and organized. When going through cords you may find you have extras you don’t need anymore – that charger for the computer that died can be recycled through e-waste.
7. Denture Cleaning Tabs: These multi-use tabs clean a lot of things. Clean out your coffee pot of all the build-up with these tabs, or pop one in the toilet to get it squeaky clean. Cleaning these daily use items keeps them working longer for you, and prepares them for moves.
8. Dishwashing gloves: While images of a 1950s housewife may pop into your mind when you see these listed here, they are worth it. Spring cleaning, and quite often post-PCS clean, involves washing a lot of dishes and cleaning a lot in general. These gloves protect your hands from the deluge of water and cleaning solutions.
9. Disinfectant Wipes: If you can find them this year, these wipes are useful for cleaning and disinfecting bathroom and kitchen surfaces quickly and easily.
10. An all-in-one mop: Cleaning the floors is not an easy task. A mop with the convenient storage of the cleaning fluid and spray is a lot easier than mopping the old way with a bucket and solution. And older children can manage it to help with the spring cleaning to-do list.
11. Bleach: When diluted with water, this cleaning fluid can also disinfect non-porous surfaces and floors. Clean off mirrors in the bathroom easily, or wipe out the bathtub.
12. White Vinegar: Another double-duty cleaner- use vinegar to clean out your washing machine, descale your coffee pot or single-use coffee maker. Mixed with water, vinegar is a useful multi-use cleaner for daily cleaning. Because it is also used in cooking, it is safe for younger children to clean with as well.
13. Baking soda: This soft abrasive is well known for its disinfecting powers while you put one in the fridge and freezer to stop unwanted smells. It is also great for scrubbing bathtubs, toilets, and kitchen counters.  It can pull up grime and yuck
14. Broom: Sweeping under the cabinet’s nooks and crannies may not be done daily, but spring cleaning is a great reminder to get at it.

Spring cleaning isn’t everyone’s favorite thing to do. Doing a large scale clean helps make the daily cleaning a little bit easier. And for a military family, can prepare them for an expected or unexpected PCS.

What is your favorite spring cleaning tool?

Childcare in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic has had its challenges for the military family. The Child Development Center (CDC), on most bases, provides care for children ages 6 weeks through school-age up to the summer after 7th grade. These centers provide up to full-day care for the children of active duty military service members, spouses of active duty members, and government service employees. At times, children of retirees can even receive care at the CDC, depending on the space available.

Getting a coveted spot at the CDC is not an easy task. The first stop is often the Department of Defense website militarychildcare.com. After setting up an account, find the specific type of care desired of full-time or part-time care at a CDC, or perhaps a home-based child care program on base (also known as an FCC). If there is no available spot at the CDC or on-base in-home providers, Child Care Aware of America can be utilized to find fee assistance.

While already dealing with the unknown of child care and moving, the pandemic has added a new unknown variable.  Many CDC centers on base have the added hurdle of being open to essential personnel only, prioritizing active duty military and dual working couples. While the priority has always been to provide dual active duty and working families childcare, this year has lessened the ability for parents who are students to find care at the on-base CDC. With smaller class sizes and short-staffed facilities, many families have moved to seek care off base through fee-assisted care through Child Care Aware.  Families with a spot for fee assistance may have challenges if a childcare center temporarily shuts down or if work care has been delayed. These questions and more have been answered here.

If the on-base CDC has moved to essential personnel only and your family is unable to receive child care there, the military family is able to apply for community child care fee assistance.

If space is offered under the fee assistance waitlist, and there is not an immediate start date, the start date must be shared as soon as it is known.

If a family voluntarily removes a child from care, the family will still be provided the fee assistance if they are required to pay the provider during the absence.

If fee assistance is provided for one childcare program and that program is shut down, fees will not be paid for the same dates of service.

Due to these changes in care availability, many military families are seeking fee-assisted care for their childcare needs, which is not surprising. It is hard enough maintaining professional careers or pursuing a degree with multiple moves and around the world, child care is necessary for families with children. COVID-19 has led to less available at the affordable on-base CDC options, leading to increased use and need of Child Care Aware. Have you been affected by the change in childcare availability in the last year? How have you overcome this obstacle?

It’s that time of year…when the military families around the world await that magical notification – the report of orders. Some families are expecting them. Some families are not.  Either way, when the military tells you to move, the service member has no choice but to go. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to prepare for your move – know your joint travel regulations.

The Joint Travel Regulations (or JTR) are updated annually to reflect the policy changes in regards to the travel and transportations allowances (i.e.: reimbursement) when it comes to temporary duty (TDY) and permanent changes of station (PCS).  While these regulations’ core remains the same, some key issues are discussed every year within the military spouse groups. It often feels like they are the first military family ever to move from their duty station when dealing with the moving office on the military base. Do yourself a favor – download the Joint Travel Regulations every year you PCS. Highlight key passages (specific sections discussed today are listed below) and know what applies to you. Just don’t try to print it, it’s huge!

Here are key notes to know and remember:

Reimbursement for Personally Procured Move (PPM), formerly known as Do-It-Yourself (DITY) moves

Section 051502 in Chapter 5 of the Joint Travel Regulations covers personally procured HHG transportation – aka PPM or DITY.  The amendment made to the 2021 JTR is that the actual cost of the shipment is covered 100% of the maximum weight allowance. When you find your own movers, or move yourself, the government will reimburse up to 100% of your weight allowance utilizing the Monetary Allowance Method is used to determine the amount the Government would cover for a move if Government-procured moving transportation was provided. Check the entitlements page of move.mil to determine your moving allowance when getting quotes from moving companies or when purchasing supplies and renting trucks to make your own move.

Pro-Gear Weight Entitlements

Whether you are doing your own move or having Government-procured movers move you, there are pro-gear entitlements. These pro-gear weights are not included in the household goods weights and are not counted against the full weight allowance. This means if your total weight of household goods allowance is 10,000 pounds, the pro-gear is allowance of 2,000 pounds per service member is allowed separate from this.

The service member may claim up to 2,000 pounds of pro-gear. The spouse may claim up to 500 pounds of work-related pro-gear. The pro-gear must be separated from the household goods and marked as such on the moving inventory. This can be accomplished by telling the movers what pro-gear is and asking them to mark the weight on the inventory. Technically, the pro-gear is supposed to be weighed separately from household goods, but historically the moving company has guessed the weights and removed that weight from the total inventory.

Pro Gear is referred to as Professional Books, Papers, and Equipment (PB&E) in Chapter 5 of the JTR, specifically 054309. If you have questions about what counts as pro-gear, refer to your service’s travel office as each service uses the JTR as a baseline and provides specifications for what is covered. For example, furniture and printers are not typically allowances as pro-gear.

Shipping a vehicle for CONUS moves

Part E in Chapter 5 outlines shipment of a privately-owned vehicle, or POV, in the Continental United States (CONUS). Eligibility for shipment of a POV at government expense is authorized when orders are received for change in a ship’s home port or the service member is physically unable to drive or have sufficient time to drive to report to the new duty station.

The most common use of a POV shipment is by the service member during a move or PCS. A service member with eligible dependents (who are on the orders) can ship a POC for a CONUS PCS if all of the following conditions are met:

1. The dependent is eligible for transportation at the Government expense and is relocating with the Service member – aka – the dependent is on the military orders to move.
2. The Service member or the eligible dependent owns more than one POV that must be relocated.
3. The Service member and all the eligible dependents travel at one time in one POV

To recap – if the Service member has eligible dependents on the orders, the Service member and/or dependent has more than one vehicle, and the eligible dependents on military orders are all traveling in one vehicle, you meet the conditions to ship a vehicle.

The reimbursement is based on the government calculated rate.  The reimbursement is not for the entire cost of shipping the POV, and instead is the difference in the monetary allowance in lieu of transportation (MALT). This is a JTR travel entitlement that is handled through your service branch’s administrative office, not DMO. The reimbursement provided by the government is based on the monetary allowance provided by the government for driving two POVs to the new duty station. Refer to Table 5-63 within the Joint Travel Regulations for the breakdown.

If your authorization to ship a POV is provided, no allowances will be provided for commercial travel at government expense for the service member or dependent, government-provided transportation, reimbursement for TDY or MALT to drop off or pick up POV, Government-expensed POV storage, or transportation of a POV within CONUS if the service member was stationed overseas unless it was stored at the Government expense due to inability to transport POV outside of CONUS.

These are just three of the reimbursements and allowances provided by the JTR. The latter is typically well-known by your service branch’s transportation office. The former two points are not always known, so ensure that they are aware of the appropriate allowances and written in your orders. If your administrative office or moving office is unaware of these allowances, print off the specific pages and ask nicely to talk to someone in charge regarding them. You may be able to share the changes with the office and provide a smooth move for not only your family but others as well.