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Plan your next chapter.

Trusted guides, practical tools, and official military-life resources.

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Editorial guides · Start here

Practical answers for the next step

PCS and Family Life

A 90-Day PCS Planning Checklist

Organize the final 90 days before a PCS with a practical timeline for orders, housing, transportation, medical care, schools, and travel.

5 minutes read
Guides & reading paths · Guided Resource Finder →

A useful order to follow

Take it one step at a time.

Eight reading paths, built around the decisions in front of you.

01First Military PCS4 guides · Military family life

Start with the big picture, then work through orders, shipment choices, and your shared plan.

  1. A 90-Day PCS Planning Checklist5 minutes read
  2. Understanding PCS Orders: What Military Families Should Review3 minutes read
  3. PPM vs. Government-Arranged Move: How to Choose3 minutes read
  4. How to Build a Shared Family PCS Calendar3 minutes read

Confirm the details

Your next action: Write down your next three actions and the office responsible for each.

See Family Ops · Coming soon →
02Moving Overseas4 guides · Military family life

Work through the family and destination questions that need extra lead time.

  1. OCONUS PCS Checklist: Documents, Travel, Housing, and Arrival3 minutes read
  2. Command Sponsorship: What Military Families Should Know3 minutes read
  3. Flying With Pets During an OCONUS PCS3 minutes read
  4. Moving Overseas With School-Age Children3 minutes read

Confirm the details

Your next action: Confirm your service and destination requirements before making commitments.

See Family Ops · Coming soon →
03PCS With Children4 guides · Military family life

Plan care, school, and travel around your household’s needs.

  1. How to Prepare Children for a Military Move5 minutes read
  2. How to Research Childcare at Your Next Duty Station5 minutes read
  3. Planning a Military PCS Road Trip With Children and Pets3 minutes read
  4. Moving Overseas With School-Age Children3 minutes read

Confirm the details

Your next action: Contact the destination school liaison or childcare office for your next step.

See Family Ops · Coming soon →
04PCS With Pets4 guides · Military family life

Build the pet travel plan alongside your household travel plan.

  1. PCS With Dogs and Cats: A Military Pet Travel Checklist3 minutes read
  2. Flying With Pets During an OCONUS PCS3 minutes read
  3. Planning a Military PCS Road Trip With Children and Pets3 minutes read
  4. Moving to Hawaii or Alaska: Military PCS Planning Differences3 minutes read

Confirm the details

Your next action: Ask the veterinarian and carrier about the timing and requirements for your actual route.

See Family Ops · Coming soon →
05Military Spouse Career Transition5 guides · Military family life

Keep work and learning connected as the household changes locations.

  1. How to Protect a Military Spouse Career During a PCS5 minutes read
  2. Military Spouse Employment Resources Across All Six Services3 minutes read
  3. What to Know About Professional Licensing Before a PCS5 minutes read
  4. How to Maintain Remote Employment During a Military PCS3 minutes read
  5. Military Spouse Education and Scholarship Resources3 minutes read

Confirm the details

Your next action: Choose one career-continuity action and identify the right official contact.

See Family Ops · Coming soon →
06Researching Army Assignments4 guides · Army assignment research

Build context, compare the life around the position, and prepare for unit conversations.

  1. How to Research an Army Unit Before an Assignment Interview5 minutes read
  2. How to Compare Army Duty Stations Beyond BAH10 minutes read
  3. How to Evaluate an Army Assignment for Career Fit5 minutes read
  4. How to Prepare for an Army Marketplace Interview5 minutes read

Confirm the details

Your next action: Add an assignment to your Workspace, then prepare questions for the unit.

Explore Assignment Research →
07PCS Financial Preparation5 guides · Military family life

Separate household estimates from official entitlements and plan for timing gaps.

  1. How to Build an Emergency Fund Before a Military Move3 minutes read
  2. Military Dislocation Allowance: What Families Should Check3 minutes read
  3. TLE vs. TLA: Understanding Temporary Lodging During a PCS3 minutes read
  4. How to Track Military PCS Reimbursements and Receipts3 minutes read
  5. Understanding Advance Pay and PCS Financial Assistance3 minutes read

Confirm the details

Your next action: Take your estimate and reimbursement questions to the finance or travel office.

See Family Ops · Coming soon →
08Your First Month at a New Duty Station5 guides · Military family life

Start with essential follow-ups, then make space for community and daily life.

  1. Your First 30 Days at a New Duty Station: A Practical Checklist6 minutes read
  2. How to Research a New Military Installation Before Arrival3 minutes read
  3. Finding Military Family Support Programs at Your Next Installation3 minutes read
  4. Understanding MWR and Recreation Across the Military Services3 minutes read
  5. How to Find Activities and Build Community After a PCS3 minutes read

Confirm the details

Your next action: Confirm your essential contacts and plan one manageable local activity.

See Family Ops · Coming soon →

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Practical tools & official references

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Complete official-reference index

Editorial guides help you plan and ask better questions. Official sources confirm current rules and individual requirements. External links open in a new tab.