Moving military families will continue with the current system for moves for a bit longer. U.S. Transportation Command, or US TransCom, is the command providing coordination of air, land and sea transportation for the entire Department of Defense. This organization houses the Defense Personal Property Program, which handles and coordinates military movers for the Department of Defense and the Coast Guard. The change over to a new company has been delayed. US TransCom and its new contractor, HomeSafe Alliance, are working through technical difficulties and will not be transitioning to HomeSafe Alliance taking over the coordination of moves under the Global Household Goods Contract.
The goal of the transition was for it to occur in September of 2023. Due to the technical difficulties leading to issues with the HomeSafe Alliance application from working with the interface of a new MilMove platform. Once the application is up and running, moving military families could track inventory and request assistance for any issues that arise.
US TransCom awarded the contrast to HomeSafe Alliance in November of 2021 for around $20 million dollars. HomeSafe Alliance is a joint venture of existing moving companies, made specifically for US TransCom to coordinate military moves. Per the November 2021 press release, “We are honored to partner with the military community around the globe,” said Alan Thompson, HomeSafe CEO.“Combining our HomeSafe Connect advanced digital solution and global program management expertise, we will dramatically improve the relocation experience for our service members, civilians, and their families. Our solution will significantly expand and reward quality performance and is an important catalyst in the transformation of the military household goods moving industry.”
Their website states services will start in 2023. HomeSafe Alliance has developed a HomeSafe Connect app to connect with a new MilMove site, replacing the current website. The connection will allow for 24/7 access to updates on where household goods are and 24/7 customer service. Per an October news release, HomeSafe Alliance is looking to hire military spouses to assist with their 24/7 customer service and fill other necessary roles. There is no pending date on when these two interfaces will work.
When the transition is completed, military movers will check the Defense Personal Property Program to see if their move qualifies for the new system. Once verifying that the MilMove site can be utilized, all guidance will be found on the new website, and the HomeSafe Connect application will allow seamless connection. According to a TransCom fact sheet, these changes will continue to occur over the following years.
Whether this transition will help smooth the difficult process of military moves is yet to be seen. PCS time is fraught with frustrations by military families – military movers that do not show, assistance that is difficult to reach through the current system, and often delays in shipping or large amounts of missing items. Time and testing will tell if this system is a useful tool for addressing the issues of the current military move system. With 300,000 service members and families moving yearly, plenty of testing will occur.
