Army addressing PCS-related issues as top priority

Photo By Scott Sturkol | Movers prepare to bring in household goods into one of the 56 new homes that were built in the South Post Housing July 13, 2017, at Fort McCoy, Wis. The new homes were accepted from the contractor July 3 and nearly double the amount of available housing units at the installation. The new homes were completed through a contract coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)  

FORT MCCOY, WI, UNITED STATES

08.18.2021

Courtesy Story

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office           

BY SUSAN MERKNER
Installation Management Command

The Army is addressing service members’ PCS (permanent change of station) issues this summer with a newly created crisis action team, or CAT, that meets daily.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, military families are facing challenges created by national shortages of moving trucks and drivers. From April 1 through Sept. 30, a period Army leaders call the “summer surge,” more than 54,000 people will move from one duty station to another.

In response, leaders with the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) and its major subordinate command, U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM), have created a PCS Moves CAT. Similar action was taken two years ago when Army leaders tackled on-base housing problems.

“People are the Army’s No. 1 priority, and the Army will do everything in its power to facilitate PCS moves for our families,” said Lt. Gen. Doug Gabram, IMCOM commanding general.

On July 19, Maj. Gen. Omar J. Jones IV, IMCOM deputy commanding general, began directing the IMCOM daily meetings, which will integrate directly with the AMC PCS Moves CAT and other commands around the Army to focus support toward garrison commanders.

In turn, it is garrison commanders who integrate all Army services on their installation to help smooth the way for successful PCS moves to and from their location.

The teams are tasked with providing continuous and accurate PCS status data points throughout the Army, and delivering proactive responses to PCS issues to ensure problems are rapidly identified and solved.

“Moving is a stressful time for any family. The Army is working to alleviate as much of the uncertainty as possible by providing tools and advice to make PCS moves more convenient, predictable and user friendly,” Gabram said.

“As we work this concept of reporting, we will learn and get better,” he said. “We have put the spotlights on the gaps in the seams, and now we’re in attack mode.”

Earlier this year, the Army upgraded its PCS policies and launched new digital products to help make moving easier for Soldiers and Families.
Changes include paying 100 percent of personally procured moves, providing orders 120 days in advance, and making it easier to make a claim. The Army also is holding moving companies accountable and requiring background checks and in-person inspectors.

Soldiers and families can download free apps to assist with the PCS process: Digital Garrison, Army PCS Move, and PCS My POV. A hotline was established to provide further assistance: 833-MIL-MOVE (833-645-6683).

The Fort McCoy Personal Property Processing Office offers a few tips on making your next move easier:

• Visit your transportation office as soon as you receive orders to take advantage of counseling. Your local transportation office is your best resource to understand the specific challenges and delays in your community.

• If movers cannot be arranged to support your timeline, talk with your chain of command immediately to explore options — which may include changes to reporting timelines.

Contact your local transportation office if your moving plans change or if you have questions regarding your move once scheduled.

In no case should a customer feel compelled to conduct a personally procured move. Similarly, no customer should feel compelled to leave family members behind to handle a household goods move on their own.

The Fort McCoy Personal Property Processing Office is located at 200 East G Street. Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Contact staff members via email at [e-mail] or by phone at 608-388-3060.

(Information contributed by the Fort McCoy Personal Property Processing Office.)

• Date Taken: 08.18.2021
• Date Posted: 08.18.2021 03:48
• Story ID: 403388
• Location: FORT MCCOY, WI, US