The complexity of PCS moves – particularly in cases of short-notice orders or overseas assignments, combined with ongoing systemic issues – leads to difficulties maintaining family stability, career continuity for spouses, and continued access to housing and child care.

As the summer PCS season ended, members of MOAA’s Currently Serving Advisory Council and Currently Serving Spouse Advisory Council met with MOAA leadership to recommend solutions to some of the logistical and financial hardships caused by these relocations.

[LEARN MORE ABOUT MOAA’S ADVISORY COUNCILS]

What’s Working

• Expanded Opportunities for Staggered PCS Moves: The councils are advocating for more formal regulations surrounding staggered PCS moves, allowing families to split their relocation timeline. This flexibility helps families with school-age children, for example, and allows working spouses to avoid sudden professional disruptions, ensuring a smoother transition.
  
  
• Improved SCRA Protections for Short-Fuse Orders: The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides legal protections for servicemembers dealing with short-notice PCS orders. While some improvements have been made, MOAA continues to push for stronger protections related to rental agreements, lease terminations, and financial obligations that can be burdensome when relocations happen quickly.

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What’s Not Working

• True Costs of PCS Moves, Particularly for OCONUS Assignments: Despite DoD efforts, the financial burden of PCS moves remains a significant issue, especially for those moving overseas. Currently Serving Advisory Council members highlighted that allowances often don’t cover the real costs of these relocations, including housing, shipment delays, and lack of local resources.
  
  
• Tracking Short-Notice Orders: A lack of transparency and formal tracking of short-notice orders is a recurring issue that makes it difficult to understand the scope of the problem. This creates a challenge in advocating for better systems and protections, as the data needed to make the case for effective change isn’t readily available.

Recommendations Solutions

• Assess PCS Costs: Study and validate financial burdens not covered by current PCS reimbursement policies. Identify specific areas where servicemembers face the highest out-of-pocket expenses, and evaluate the differences in CONUS and OCONUS moves.
  
  
• Create a Formal Tracking System for Short-Notice PCS Orders: Track the frequency and impact of short-notice PCS orders to allow the services to better understand how to mitigate these disruptions. This system would also provide data to support further legislative actions.
  
  
• Expand and Formalize Regulations for Staggered PCS Moves: Provide families with much-needed flexibility, allowing them to better plan around school, spouse careers, and other life commitments -- a path to less upheaval and stress during relocations.
  
  
• Strengthen SCRA Protections for Short-Fuse PCS Orders: Enhance protections for those who face short-notice moves (30 days or less) to alleviate some financial burdens, such as last-minute lease terminations or contract penalties.

These advisory councils are vital parts of MOAA’s advocacy efforts and critical to ensuring the pulse of the currently serving community is at the forefront of our legislative strategies. By addressing these key areas, MOAA can help improve the overall experience of PCS moves for servicemembers and their families, ensuring smoother transitions and reducing unnecessary burdens.