Military Moving 101

A friend commented that she had no idea so much was involved in each of our moves so I thought I'd post just a few things we address with each move by the non-military move initiated amongst our friends and loved ones.

They do all the packing for you don't they?
What this does NOT mean.  We can sit back sipping a diet Coke or lemonade whilst professional packers come in and pack up all our things.

What this does mean:  We have to sort, declutter and decide what is going. (and in an overseas move, this means THREE shipments).  We have weight limits based on rank so care has to be taken to make sure we do not own too many things, lest we pay a fine for the excess weight. . Anything NOT to be packed, needs to be removed from sight and even the premises lest an enthusiastic packer, packs it before you realize it. (and that would be why I will have 2 coffee tables in England and not one, and why some families have unpacked filled trash cans at their new home)  Also, packers must be watched to be sure things are cared for properly and inventories are recorded accurately. (no, that 100 year old desk isn't broken nor is it splinters and glue as recorded on your inventory, it is an ANTIQUE!)

Military pays for it.
What this does not mean:  A move costs us nothing.

What this does mean:  The government pays for a certain number of days of lodging on either end of the move, an allowance for meals for each family member, plane tickets for overseas moves (and mileage expenses if we are driving, which may or may not actually cover the current gas prices).  Deposits, cleaning costs, moving incidentals such as meals during the packing process, curtains and rugs for new home, etc, come out of our pocket.

You've done this so many times, you must be an expert at it.
What this does not mean: It is possible to be such a moving expert that a move becomes stress free.

What this does mean:   Experience is quite valuable but doesn't take into account the increasingly complex logistics of moving a growing family, nor the military's propensity to change their system and way of doing things every year or so whether its broken or not, nor the fact that every state/country has different requirements and ways of doing things that must be navigated while setting up a new home. Bottom line is a move is stressful no matter how many times we've done it. We still get weary and stressed, and do really dumb things, make mistakes and do not always act like ourselves.