Workshop helps Airmen make a 'Smooth Move'

  • Published
  • By Tara Dixon Engel
  • Skywrighter Staff
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Oh. --  Moving to a new home is never an easy process under any circumstances. But for military personnel, a move involves so much more than packing and loading, especially if the move is overseas.

To make the transition easier and more methodical, the Airman & Family Readiness Center (A&FRC) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base sponsors monthly "Smooth Move" seminars to help Airmen and their families get ahead of the curve when it comes to the necessary steps leading up to relocation.

One such seminar was March 6 at the A&FRC in Bldg. 2. Representatives from a number of on-base agencies briefed about a dozen Airmen and family members on the steps to clear for a truly smooth move. Officials from military finance, claims, TRICARE, housing, billeting and transportation, among others, gave 15- to 20-minute presentations on the paperwork and processes involved in a typical permanent change of station (PCS).

Materials were provided that will prove invaluable to a family getting ready to relocate. These included a 21-page Relocation Assistance Countdown Checklist, which offers a handy countdown summary of tasks that need to be completed 60 to 90 days before PCSing, 50 days prior, 40 days prior, 21 days and so on, counting down to packing day, moving day, and on-the-way tips and suggestions. The document also offers guidance on first steps once the Airman and family reach their destination - who to notify, where to check in, how to assess the condition of your valuables, etc.

Other materials dealt specifically with the moving process and how to ensure that furniture and personal property make it safely to the new home.

Brian Brown, an Air Force claims examiner, told the Smooth Move attendees that list-making and attention to detail were essential in successfully moving personal property.

"If you are missing something once you arrive, you have to be able to verify what it was, what condition it was in, and that it definitely went on the truck if you want to make a successful claim," Brown said.

Airman and family members interested in finding out more can call the A&FRC at 937-257-2910. The center offers a variety of materials and information to help with the process of moving. The center also offers a list of household and baby items that can are available to military and civil service personnel for temporary loan from the "loan closet." These items include everything from booster seats and high chairs to blenders, coffee pots and futons.

The next Smooth Move seminar will be April 10 at 1 p.m. at the A&FRC in Bldg. 2, 2000 Allbrook Drive in Area A. The seminar is open to Airmen and family members of Airmen who will be PCSing soon.

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