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Prepping for Your Move

ONE YEAR REMAINING

Normally at the one year remaining in the 36-month PCS contract a decision of whether to extend is made.

  • Management determines whether to offer an extension to an employee.
  • If management decides to offer the extension, the offer may be accepted or declined by the employee.
  • If the extension is offered and accepted, then the employee and family continue until next offer is made up to a total of 5 years of PCS.

ONE YEAR FROM DEPARTURE

  • The employee, if needed, shall begin working on obtaining the required VISA for non-US citizens in order for them to travel to the US.
  • The employee/family will verify the expiration date of their passports. (7-12 months from departure)

Renew your official government passport when you are within 12 months of rotation but NO LATER THAN 6 months before rotation. HRO will not process requests to renew that are received after you are within 6 months to rotation.

SIX MONTHS FROM DEPARTURE

If you have not been in discussion with your home command, you should contact your previous department head to ensure they are working to identify your position upon return. Your orders cannot be generated until this decision is made.

If your home in the States is being rented and is occupied by tenants, the employee should notify the stateside Property Manager of the anticipated return date such that renters may be vacated by the time the employee and the family return.

90 DAYS FROM DEPARTURE

  • The employee should be notified by the receiving Command of the job they will occupy upon return.
  • The employee shall request travel orders from HR if leaving FDRMC Rota.
  • Request Temporary Quarters Subsistence Expense (TQSE) from the gaining command.

TQSE is a discretionary allowance that is intended to reimburse employees for some costs for lodging, food, and other necessities when occupying temporary quarters. TQSE must be authorized in advance of occupancy, and may not be approved after the fact. It may be offered by the agency in the following forms:

  1. TQSE (AE) Actual expense reimbursement
  2. TQSE (LS) Lump Sum payment

For more information, visit:
Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) – TQSE

60 DAYS FROM DEPARTURE

The gaining command should assign a sponsor to the returning employee and family to assist with their return. The assigned sponsor should contact the returning employee to exchange contact information and answer any questions about the returning process for the returning employee or family. If you do not hear from your sponsor you may wish to contact the gaining command to ask for contact information.

  • The employee should receive orders from their parent command to return to CONUS federal employment.
  • The employee/family should prepare for moving their household effects
  • The employees/family should set up their express shipment.
  • Contact www.move.mil for personal property.
  • The employee set up Defense Personal Property System (DPS) account.
  • The employee/family shall set up house hold goods shipment.

As soon as you have a date for your upcoming PCS move, start getting your house and family ready. Clean up and get rid of junk. Get important family records together in one place. Plan what items you will take in your unaccompanied baggage (express shipment) and what will go in your household goods shipment.

Shipment of the household goods (not the express shipment) usually takes two months or longer. This means that you will be without most of your belongings for your initial time at your new location. Plan accordingly.

Traveling with a pet has some additional complications. All costs for moving your pet are borne by you. You cannot take the bus to the airport with a pet so you will have to arrange transportation. Be aware of the requirements when you prepare to move your pet from Spain.

More information about returning to the US with pets:

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