KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – Permanent change of duty station moves can be stressful, but the Army has transportation experts available to assist. In Europe, the transportation offices are assigned to the 405th Army Field Support Brigade’s eight Logistics Readiness Centers and aligned with each Army Garrison across Germany, Italy, Poland and the Benelux.
The transportation counselors and assistants at these LRCs know how stressful the PCS process can be and stand ready to assist Soldiers and Army families with managing their household goods shipments, unaccompanied baggage and other transportation needs.
Michael Leyba is the chief of transportation at LRC Rheinland-Pfalz, 405th AFSB. He said knowledge and decisive action are critical for Soldiers and families to help ensure success with their upcoming summer peak season PCS moves.
“For U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz community members, as soon as they have their orders, they should immediately come to our transportation office. We are taking walk-ins, and they can come to see us at Daenner Kaserne in Building 3104 on the first floor, room 101,” said Leyba, who added that servicemembers living in the other communities across Europe should do the same at their supporting LRCs.
Leyba also said flexibility is key to successful PCS moves. He recommends customers plan accordingly and come to the transportation office with both primary and alternate pickup and pack out dates. During the summer peak PCS season, the contracted moving companies are extremely busy so having some flexibility can make a positive difference.
“And they should try to plan plenty of time between their first visit to our transportation office and their scheduled pickup and pack out dates. There's simply a lot going on in a relatively short amount of time,” he said. “Also, prior to making flight arrangements through SATO travel, they need to make sure they already have their household goods appointments booked. They have to allow for adequate time to clear their commands.”
With PCS moves, it’s not just about pickups, pack outs and flight departures. Arrivals are important, too. Immediately upon arrival at a new duty station, a Soldier should sign up for and take advantage of Army Community Service’s lending closet and the installation loaner furniture program, when available, said Leyba. These services are available for incoming Soldiers and Army families at many installations and garrisons in Europe and are offered at other locations as well. Soldiers and families should contact ACS and their local housing office for more information and to check for availability.
During a PCS, Leyba said if anything out of the ordinary occurs or the inkling of a problem arises, Soldiers and Army families should immediately contact the Soldier’s chain of command and reach out to their local transportation office. They can also call the 24-hour hotline for questions on PCS moves at 833-MIL-MOVE.
No matter what the circumstance, when it comes to moving household goods and unaccompanied baggage, Leyba recommends Soldiers reach out to their local transportation office and speak to a trained representative. They are there to help.
Steps to take:
- Visit the installation transportation office as soon as orders are received. Don’t wait.
- Whether this is a first move or 15th, take advantage of counseling. The local transportation office is the best resource of information specific to that location.
- If movers cannot be arranged to support the PCS, talk with Soldier’s chain of command immediately to explore options – which may include changes to reporting timelines.
- Be patient with the transportation office personnel. They are here to assist you.
- Contact the local transportation office if moving plans change or when questions or concerns arise during the PCS process.
Helpful sites:
The Defense Personal Property System website, U.S. Transportation Command’s MilMove website, and Military OneSource’s PCS & Military Moves webpage can help with getting started and scheduling PCS moves but always check with or call the local LRC transportation office to ensure everything is on point and good to go, Leyba said.
The 405th AFSB is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany. The brigade provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. forces throughout Europe and Africa – providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging U.S. Army Materiel Command’s materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the official website and the official Facebook site.
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