PREPARATION
FINANCES
Like with any move, you will incur a lot of costs. Even more so in this case because you will constantly feel the urge to keep up with your peers in terms of gear, supplies, and other extraneous items. While there are unavoidable fixed costs that you’ll have to shell out cash for, you can still get ahead by significantly reducing that impact.
HOME
Take everything. Move everything. There’s no point in packing light for your first PCS move. The cost of the little daily items that you usually take for granted will add up quick as you begin to realize that you need them (i.e. soap, shower curtain, paper towels, toilet paper, utensils, sponges, an internet router). Steal what you need from your parents’ house if you have to.
WORK
If there’s one thing you’ll learn in the Army, it’s to never throw anything away. Every little thing from colored yarn, Rite-In-The-Rain notebooks, to 100mph tape, you absolutely need to keep. Because once you arrive on station you will eventually need all of those things, and Ranger Joe’s and Commando’s will gouge you for a lot of those items. If you have three ring binders, sleeve protectors, lamination paper, map markers, or any other office supplies—BRING THEM as well. There will be classroom portions during BOLC training, and clear acetate for overlays are always in high demand (see Nuggets of Knowledge for a more comprehensive list). You will inevitably have to buy a lot of these things because you simply weren’t issued any of it in the past. However, you will save big money by ordering some of this stuff online rather than having to buy it last minute at Benning.
FITNESS
You do not want to be the weakest soldier within your cohort. You may be a good dude and people like you, but it will become very apparent if you’re consistently the one trailing in the back during runs and ruck marches. Especially if you’re in the infantry, this is a major sign of weakness and your inability to pull your own weight.
Feet: Make sure you have running shoes that aren’t completely worn out. General rule for the shelf life of running shoes is 6 months or between 300-500 miles. Good boots are also going to be essential, as you will be rucking for increasingly longer distances. Unless your feet are made of steel, the standard issue boots simply won’t cut it anymore. You want boots that are already broken in, light-weight, and will dry fast when they get wet (see Boots for more details).
Knees: (knee pads)
Back: When you get issued your rucksack at CIF, make sure you take the time to set it up so that it sits high and tight on your back. This means the straps allow the ruck frame to conform to the natural curvature of your back when it is cinched all the way up. This also means that the ruck itself is secured tightly to the frame so that nothing is hanging loose or bouncing when you’re carrying it. This is vitally important when you travel long distances with a heavy pack. You want nothing to work against you, and the secret is to secure and consolidate most of your weight as close to your upper back as possible.
MOVING
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) is the Army term for actually moving from one location to another. There are two types of moves you can make: a PPM/DITY or HHG. There is actually a third type called a partial DITY, which is just a combination of the two.
PPM/DITY: This is a Personally Procured Move / Do It Yourself move. This is the Army’s way of incentivizing moving yourself and having the government just reimburse you afterwards. You will get paid 95% of what it would have costed to hire a moving company; the government saves some money, and you get to make that money instead (woo!). This option makes the most sense for most young officers fresh out of college. You typically don’t have many bulky possessions such as huge furniture and appliances, which makes packing up the car super easy for the move. If it doesn’t all fit in the car, you are also able to rent a trailer or a UHaul + vehicle trailer to make your journey to Benning.
HHG: This is the Household Goods option. If you’re already living in a fully furnished house/apartment and don’t want to go through all the trouble of moving everything yourself, this is the best option for you. Just understand that there is typically a wait list for HHG to come in and pack your stuff, so you will be at the mercy of someone else. HHG is also notorious for breaking stuff en route to your duty station. So if you do go with this option please, PLEASE thoroughly document any damages made to your items. Take photos of the high value items before, and then after if they have been damaged. That way you can claim these damages, and either get them replaced or reimbursed by the Army.