PCS with Military.com

No matter how many times you’ve relocated or how long you think you’re going to be at your new duty station, every military PCS comes with this major question: Where are you going to live?

Whether you rent or buy a home depends on a host of factors specific to your situation. But you also need to take into consideration the current housing market. So what do you need to know, going into this military move season? In this episode of PCS with Military.com, VA home loan and mortgage industry insider Michelle Crumley sits down to talk us through the many considerations for deciding whether to buy when the home market is wild. Listen now. 

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You’re excited for an overseas military PCS move with your service member until … that is, until you realize that taking your career with you is likely to be very complicated. Even if you’re a remote employee already, the rules around working while living at an OCONUS duty station are murky at best. And even if you can figure them out, you still have to convince your employer to let you do it.

Those rules are created by what’s known as a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the host nation. So how do you figure out what you need to know about taking your career overseas? In this episode of PCS with Military.com, Beth Conlin, a military spouse and OCONUS career advocate, explains the ins and outs of SOFA, how to figure out what you need to know and some steps for working with your employer to take your job with you when you move. Listen now.

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Two military spouses walk into a bar …

No, that’s not the kind of joke we’re looking for. Military moves can be wildly stressful, but if you can find the humor in them and learn to laugh through what you’re dealing with? It makes everything just a little bit easier.

Comedian and Air Force spouse Ashley Gutermuth knows that is true. Through her many military moves, she has learned to flip circumstances around to find the humor, and the standup comedy she does as a result is downright hilarious. This episode of PCS with Military.com shares plenty of laughter as Ashley reveals her secrets for finding the funny in military life, why she owns six Roombas and her jokes that make people mad. Listen now.

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In a world where dual-income households are the norm, leaving a civilian career behind every few years thanks to a military PCS move creates a host of challenges. Even if you can easily find a role in your profession, how are you supposed to grow a career when you keep hopping jobs?

A series of programs offered by the Defense Department seeks to help with that problem. In this episode of PCS with Military.com, director Eddy Mentzer walks us through what those programs are, where to find them and how to get the most out of the assistance available. Listen now.

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• Military OneSource spouse career program
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Ready for your 2023 military PCS? Each year, the Defense Department updates the rules and regulations around military moves. Knowing and using those changes is an important part of making a successful PCS.

But learning what they are and understanding how they impact you? That’s where things get harder. In this episode of PCS with Military.com, military move expert Megan Harless gives us a quick view of the most important changes for 2023 and what you need to do about them. Listen now.

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If you have kids, relocating with the military can also mean moving schools and sorting through a maze of academic requirements and rules. That’s just one of the reasons many military families choose homeschooling instead.

But it still brings plenty of challenges. Rules for homeschooling vary by state, and getting plugged into a new, supportive community can be a challenge, no matter how often you do it. Toss learning to navigate homeschooling thanks to an overseas PCS, and the process can seem even more complicated.

Military homeschooling expert Natalie Mack has the tips, tricks and insight for making military homeschooling just a little bit easier. In this episode of PCS with Military.com, she lays out the help you need for moving with your homeschooled family and making the best of schooling, no matter where you are stationed. Listen now.

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• Learn more about the Homeschool Legal Defense Association
• Defense Department State Liaisons
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• Find regional School Liaison Officers
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Think doing your PCS move yourself without the help of the on-base transportation office is too much work? Military spouse Mallory Pevoto, aka the “DITY Mama,” says think again. A Personally Procured Move (PPM), also known as a DITY move, might sound like too much to handle, but by organizing packers and movers yourself without the help of Uncle Sam, you can have more control over what happens with your household goods and maybe even make some money in the process, she says.

In this episode of PCS with Military.com, Mallory talks us through why military families should strongly consider a PPM for their next military move and what to do if you find yourself facing one when it’s not what you want. Listen now.

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You’ve unpacked the boxes and registered your kids for school. Your military PCS is all wrapped up, and now you’re friend single and ready to mingle.

If only plugging yourself in to your new duty station was that simple. No matter your cultural background or interests, finding that perfect new community wherever you are can feel hard. So how do you successfully relocate those passion points while dodging the temptation to reinvent yourself after every move? In this episode of PCS with Military.com, Air National Guard spouse Tawny Trottier Cale, an activist and small business owner, talks about how she navigates the tricky subject of relocating culture and passion, and shares her tips on how you can successfully do the same. Listen now.

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Ready to take on the challenge of your first military move? In the complex world of military permanent change-of-station (PCS) moves, it’s hard to know what you’re getting yourself into until you’ve done it. From packing to dealing with the move itself, a maze of rules, guidance and advice is waiting for you. So how do you know what to do? And is there a way to simply learn the best practices without first making mistakes?

In this episode of PCS with Military.com, Army veteran, spouse and military move industry insider Isabel Schmitt lays out her best tips for military families getting ready for a PCS. Co-founder of LOGSA Mil Moves, Isabel’s help is based on her boots-on-the-ground knowledge about how military packers and movers really work. Listen now.

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Making a military PCS move carries a hefty financial burden for military families. That means smart money management and knowing and using all of your PCS entitlements is necessary for getting you from Point A to Point B without draining your bank account.

And even as you balance that cash flow, you also need to keep another life management factor in mind: All of that paperwork that makes the military life go ’round. From passports to shot records, knowing where your documents are won’t just save your sanity, it can also save you money.

In this episode of PCS with Military.com, financial columnist and accredited financial counselor Kate Horrell joins us to share her best tips and tricks for a financially smart and sanity-safe military move. 

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• Read Kate Horrell on Military.com
• Visit Kate’s website
• Check out Kate’s military life binder system
• PCS With Military.com is brought to you by Navy Federal Credit Union