If you or one of your loved ones is in the military, you might wonder, “what is MilPCS?” Military PCS or PCS is the permanent change of station in the military. A permanent change of station is when a military member is transferred to a unit located in a different area or state than his or her current station.
There’s a difference between PCS and PCA. PCA is short for permanent change of assignment. In PCA, the person is transferred to a different unit within the same station. PCS can generally be used for other government employees, but MilPCS only refers to military personnel.
What Is PCS and Its Impact
There’s no doubt that relocating is always tough. This is true regardless of your field of work. Whether you work in marketing, medicine, or the army, you will always have some reservations before making a change. The idea of moving away from a place where you spent many years of your life and have many memories can be very difficult. It’s also important to remember that you most likely won’t be moving alone. It’s a change that will affect you and those closest to you.
Military personnel should know they’re allowed 10 days of leave when they’re told they’ll be moving to a different station. These 10 days can take weeks ahead of your PCS or just before moving. It’s up to you. People should know that the military will not cover your expenses for these 10 days. You are expected to pay for transportation and housing during these 10 days from your own pocket.
You will be allowed what is known as a TLE. TLE stands for temporary lodging expense. You will receive up to $290 per day for meal and lodging expenses for family members that move with you. A dislocation allowance is also sometimes provided for military members that are relocating their household due to MilPCS.
There are a few things to know ahead of moving into military housing. The first is that military communities are very close and tight-knit. People in military housing share most of their lives and triumphs. You’ll find that it’ll be very easy to bond with those around you. While this sounds great, it can also be a small problem because you’ll realize that you won’t have much privacy. You’ll see most people daily, and they’ll know almost everything about your life.
Life will be easier because you’ll have almost everything you need easily. You’ll find it in the base, whether it’s the gym, a mall, or elsewhere. Leaving the base will be unnecessary, and life will feel more convenient.
What is PCS? PCS is a permanent change of station that sounds easy on paper but will involve more thought than you might think. It’s a big change but one that will hopefully be for the better.
