Top 10 Things to Do Before a Military Move
A Military Move is Much More Than Just Moving Down the Street
- Check your ID Card and your dependents' ID cards. Will it expire soon? Will it expire while you are on your way to your next assignment? If so, get it updated immediately so that you won't be caught without a current Military ID Card!
- Check your Drivers License. Sometimes you need two government issued picture ID cards. Don't be caught without the second one. Make sure your drivers license is current and has basically the same height, weight, eye color and hair color as your military ID card. If the two don't match, military police will consider it suspect.
- Check your spouse's orders. Are you on those orders? Are your children on those orders? Be sure to check that the spelling of yours and your children's names are correct and also be sure that your social security numbers are correct on it as well. Do not accept a child's nickname ion your spouse's orders. They will need to be revised if young Theodore is on there as Teddy. Trust me on this!
- Do you have your Social Security Card? Your Social Security Number will be on your military ID, but always be sure that you have an actual copy of your Social Security Card with you. If you have children, be sure that you have their Social Security Cards with you as well.
- Do you have your birth certificate? A birth certificate can help you to prove U.S. residency and you'd be surprised how much that comes up lately. You need this document with you. You will also need to be sure that you have your children's birth certificates. Not only will these help you to prove that they are your children but they'll be helpful when you in-process your next base.
- Get a medical check-up. Don't leave this until you get to your next assignment. You simply won't have time for it. Have your check-up and your children's check-ups before you leave your current base. Be sure to get a 3-month supply of any medications you or your children take. Three months will get you through any leave you plan to take enroute as well as give you time to settle in to your new home before having to find the base pharmacy.
- Get your x-rays. The government will not send these for you. Ladies, I'm talking about that baseline mammogram you did. If you don't want to do another one soon, check those x-ray films out and hand carry them with you to your next base. If your children had x-rays for any reason, be sure to check those out as well.
- Get your civilian medical records. Our Military Brats are being born in civilian hospitals now and the base clinic does not keep those records for you. Be sure that you have certified copies of your civilian medical records and those of your children.
- Get letters of recommendation. Moving around with a military spouse isn't easy on a career. Be sure to get letters of recommendation from supervisors that you worked for as well as people who supervised any volunteer work you may have done. You just never know when they might come in handy.
- Get your credit cards paid off. A military move isn't easy. Sure, the government will pick up the tab for a bare bones move, but when you've driven eight hours across the Great American Desert with a screaming child in the back seat and no radio stations within range, you just might prefer that Jacuzzi suite with a king sized bed at the Best Western instead of the double at the Motel 6. Trust me. I've been there!
Published by Lisa Thibault Pietsch
Lisa Pietsch has an A.S. in Business Management from the University of Maine and studied Government & History at the University of Great Falls. When she isn't writing novels, she is working on SAXtreme Mag... View profile
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If your military ID card and your driver's license don't match in height, weight, hair or eye color, military police will find it suspect and you may not be allowed to travel.
2 Comments
Post a CommentGood checklist, Lisa. I'd also like to add the importance of including your Permanent Resident Card or visa if you're a foreign-born spouse PCSing to America. Another thing to bear in mind is that in some countries doctors will not allow people to remove their medical records when they PCS to America.
Sophie
This is a great article! You covered a lot of the logistics that people don't think about. I wrote an article recently about relocation reimbursements and what can go wrong after our government moves. It sounds like you have a lot of experience too. You should check it out and compare notes. ;)