Requesting Your PCS Orders: Tips and FAQs for Navigating Military PCS

• PCS assignments are based on military needs, but you can often submit location preferences.
• Changing or canceling PCS orders after they’re issued can be difficult and requires approval.
• Knowing your PCS benefits and move options can help make the transition easier.

Moving is part of military life, but many service members may want or need to request specific locations, positions, or career milestones. So, is there an option for military members to request PCS orders?

The short answer is no, but certain circumstances allow military members to make special requests or have more say over where they move. Ultimately, it comes down to the service’s needs, but options may be available for those looking to make the PCS moving process work for them and their families.

You can’t request where you’ll go when you PCS, but in most cases, you can submit preferences through an official process or by email or phone.

When you arrive at a new duty station, you’ll have official military orders for a specific time. As the end of your tour of duty in that position nears, start talking to the people responsible for assigning you a new duty about where you would like to go. If you keep communication open and are clear with your preferences, they might just tap you for your dream job if it’s available. Keep in mind that this is not a binding agreement, and your orders may change based on what the military needs.

It can also be helpful to prepare for your specific PCS timeline. Talk to your current command and new command about what time makes the most sense professionally. It is more common to PCS in the summer months, so securing a pack-out date with a moving company may be more difficult during this season. However, communicating in advance might give you more options and more say in the entire process.

If you already have PCS orders, altering or canceling them is much harder. To do so, you must make a strong case for its necessity since your move has already been funded, and other plans may have been made. If you can no longer fulfill your orders, the military will need to send someone else, which will require additional expense and training.

If you want to change your orders, talk to your unit admin NCO, G1 NCO, or commanding officer about your options. The switch will likely need approval at a high level.

Compassionate Reassignment and Humanitarian Assignments

In limited circumstances, service members facing severe family hardships may qualify for a compassionate reassignment (Army) or humanitarian assignment (other branches).

These programs may allow the military to defer, modify, or cancel PCS orders when a serious family situation requires the member’s presence. Approval requires supporting documentation and is considered on a case-by-case basis.

The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)

Service members with dependents who have ongoing medical, developmental, educational, or mental health needs may be enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP).

While EFMP does not let members choose their duty station, it helps ensure assignments are made to locations that can support a family member’s documented needs.

Military Assignment Swaps

Some military branches allow service members to swap assignments with another member who has the same rank, specialty, and qualifications. These swaps require approval and must still meet military staffing and mission requirements.

Once your official PCS orders are written, it’s unlikely that they will be canceled, although it does happen. The process for canceling orders depends on where you are in the process.

Once the orders are authorized, the assigning officer, usually in your military branch’s personnel office, can change or cancel them. This can happen all the way up to your actual move, which is the most likely time for an order change or cancellation.

Once you are en route to your new command, the personnel office can cancel the orders, but this rarely happens. It requires a high level of approval since you may have already completed training or packed up your household goods. After you arrive and complete your PCS, the personnel office may cancel the orders, but it’s unlikely.

If you’re in the military, there’s a good chance you’ll have to move at some point, so being ready for a PCS is the best way to ensure it goes well. From knowing about expense reimbursements through a dislocation allowance to having a helpful PCS checklist, you can make the process much smoother.

While you may not always have a say in where or when you PCS, you can customize the actual move to work best for you.

CONUS vs OCONUS

When you get ready for your move, it’s essential to understand where you’re moving, as this can greatly impact how you get there and what life is like once you arrive.

All moves within the continental United States are called CONUS, while moves outside the continental United States are called OCONUS.

CONUS PCS moves offer greater transportation flexibility and tend to have similar requirements for pets, household goods, vehicles, and other items.

OCONUS covers Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, and foreign duty stations. For a move to a foreign country, the requirements follow that country’s laws and regulations.

Members at many overseas locations may qualify for an overseas cost-of-living allowance (COLA). It is not automatic. The COLA payment offsets higher prices for non-housing goods and services, runs as a percentage of spendable income, and varies by pay grade, years of service, and number of dependents. Members stationed where costs are no higher than the average stateside area receive none. Overseas housing costs are covered separately, through the Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA).

Moving After PCS Orders

Your PCS orders list the date you need to report to your new command, as well as what you are entitled to regarding your move, but the actual move date for your household can be flexible.

Some military members choose to arrive at their new command, find housing, and then move their families later. You may also choose to delay your household move to let children finish the school year, which is another reason the summer months are more popular for PCS moves.

You may physically move your home after your PCS orders are complete, but you should talk to your transportation office about the scheduling requirements.

Your specific entitlements are listed on your PCS orders, and knowing what to expect financially during your move can be helpful.

In most cases, military members can receive a dislocation allowance (DLA), a flat-rate payment that partially offsets the cost of relocating household security deposits, utility hookups, and similar expenses the government does not otherwise reimburse.

The rate varies by pay grade and dependency status, and members normally receive it once per fiscal year. Temporary lodging is covered separately, through Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) for CONUS moves or Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA) for overseas moves.

Moving Expenses Reimbursement

You can also get reimbursed for moving expenses if you opt for a Do It Yourself, or DITY move. This is commonly referred to as a personally procured move (PPM).

A PPM reimburses up to 100 percent of what the government would have paid a contractor to move you. If you can move for less, you can keep the difference.

If you choose a government-arranged household goods (HHG) move instead, the government pays the moving company directly, and you receive no PPM payment. However, your other PCS allowances of DLA, per diem, and mileage are unaffected.

You can also combine the two with a partial DITY move.

Per Diem Payments

While moving, you are also entitled to per diem pay to cover food and incidentals during your travels. It’s based on the expected number of travel days, which can be helpful for long cross-country moves.

Once you arrive at your new duty station, you can expect a change in your basic allowance for housing (BAH), which covers about 95 percent of typical housing and utility costs in your area. The rate is based on your duty station ZIP code, your pay grade, and your dependency status. BAH has two tiers, with dependents and without dependents.

Even though you may not be able to change your PCS orders once they are issued, knowing what to expect during the move and how to make the process work for you and your family can make the entire experience much easier.