PCSing to Husband's A School

[JenBo]

Hi there!

My husband has joined the Navy and will be leaving for RTC in a couple of weeks. His school is in Pensacola, FL at Corry Station and we have received confirmation that it is long enough to qualify us to PCS. He will of course be flown there by the Navy after graduation and I will be driving to meet him once he has the OK to live off base with me. I've looked into PCS entitlements but most articles refer to members moving with their dependents to another duty station rather than a dependent moving to meet an active duty member at their first station. We would like to be paid our travel expenses in advance (DLA, Per Diem, etc,) but we are unsure if that will be possible seeing as he will be in boot camp during the time frame that families usually apply for an advance. Does anybody have any knowledge or experience of how PCS travel pay works in this situation?

Thank you so much!

-Jenny

[Anti M]

He won't be eligible for advances in pay or allowances until he is a sailor... the last week of boot camp.  That's why there is not much information about recruits putting in for travel allowances for dependents, they don't.  It will work on reimbursement.  

[TN Navy Mom (Stennis Nuke Mom)]

When my son moved to his A school, he was there for indoc and made the necessary preparations for housing and move.  He then flew home on a Wednesday (after viewing their base housing on a Tuesday) and they drove back to Goose Creek SC on Saturday.  Movers came on Saturday (after they had left) and I handled getting their stuff on the road.  It was about a week later that their furniture and belongings arrived. 

 

So, he was in Goose Creek for a week before coming home to get my DIL.  He received some money in advance to pay for the movers but had to wait for additional reimbursements. They only had to travel about 9 hours so there was mileage but no real per diem to collect.  They received additional $ when the weight tickets were submitted.  This was 2-1/2 years ago, so some things may have changed but he had a very short time to make the necessary arrangements, and only after he'd arrived at his A school.

[Anti M]

Only nuke school gives them time off to go get their dependents.  No other A school allows this.

[JenBo]

Thank you both for the replies. I guess we will have to play this by ear. From what I've heard, I don't think my sailor will be flying back here from Corry. Right now the plan is for hubby's parents to drive our car back with me and stay for a while to help us set up our home. It's a 2,000 mile trip from California to Florida, so it'll be interesting. I have no idea when to expect our belongings to arrive if it took a week for your son's to arrive from 9 hours away, TN Navy Mom! Lol. All I can say is thank goodness for savings!

[sailorwifenmom]

Something important - keep ALL receipts, gas, meals, and hotel expenses.  They won't pay your in-laws expenses, but you can claim those for yourself and any kids you have, since you are authorized to move.  Also - since you are driving, you will be traveling with suitcases and other stuff in the car I assume.  If so, go get the car weighed empty, then go get it weighed again after you pack it.  Keep the receipts for this, too, as well as a copy of the official weights.  (This has to be done at a scale, you can't use the "official retailers weight of the vehicle according to the owners guide" sort of thing.)  Then, at the other end, your husband can claim that as a Partial DITY move (It has a new name I forget right now, but still works the same).  This basically means they will pay you 80% of what they would pay a moving company to haul that weight amount - so money in your pocket.

I'm not 100% sure they do this when it's your fresh out of boot camp first move (there' s some things that are a bit different with that for various reasons), but it's pretty easy to do, so it's worth trying, and even if you can't do it this time, when you leave P- cola, if you''re staying CONUS, you can do it then :-)

[JenBo]

Thank you! I will definitely b collecting lots of receipts on the way there. My understanding is that the Navy will only reimburse a certain amount per day for your food/hotel expenses and a certain amount per mile for fuel expenses. Am I correct or will they reimburse all expenses even past per diem/per mile rates according to the receipts? I will have to look into the partial DITY. It seems easy enough and we will certainly be packing a few suitcases for the trip, so it may be worth it. I don't see why they wouldn't allow it for a first move, but we'll give it a shot!

[Anti M]

DITY is now PPM ...personally procured move.

When you scale your vehicle at a truckstop, be sure the gas tank is empty.  When you scale it full, be sure you've just gassed up.  Makes a huge difference.

There's a good thread in the PCS move forum about things to pack for a cross-country drive.  Pack a grab n go basket of picnic items, paper towels, and utensils.  A mini kitchen in a box for when you arrive.  Bedding or sleeping bags for emergency stops.  A file of all your important papers which goes into the motel room with you, never left in the car.  Accessible first aid and emergency car kits (on sale now post-holiday!).  And get your car tuned up before you depart.

[sailorwifenmom]

Thanks!  For the life of me, I couldn't remember PPM, but I figured someone would know what I was talking about and what they call it now, not surprised you knew :-) 

[sailorwifenmom]

No, they won't pay in excess.  But to be honest, we'done half a dozen or so transfers where we drove part or all the way, and we've never exceeded the amount they pay.  We tend to stay at places like La Quinta (We used to stay at Comfort Inn, but a few weeks ago, they refused to rent a room to our ACTIVE DUTY traveling ON ORDERS son, who has both a debit and credit card to pay, because he wasn't over 21, so we won't be staying there anymore....) 

Anyway, we tend to stay where the room prices are about average (ask for military rates, many give them, though if you are an AAA member, sometimes those are better), one that provides breakfast.  Then fast food for lunch, then someplace like Applebee's or Friday's for dinner.  We don't go crazy expensive, but we don't go crazy cheap either (though sometimes we do choose to take lunch stuff in the car and save money, because, like BAH, you get so much, and what you don't spend you keep, what you go over, you pay).

[Anti M]

Absolutely join AAA before the trip.  Excellent roadside service if you should need it.

[JenBo]

Thanks for the advice! I will have to start looking for those items to pack, Anti M. We had already planned on taking important docs with us because who knows what can happen to them in the hands of movers.

Thanks for the suggestion, sailorwife! I have to pay for the food and lodging for my in laws as well, so we will have to stay on the cheap side. Not too cheap though because that can get scary... lol. In your experience, how have the travel cost reimbursements worked? When does the money usually get back to you? We're betting on needing a second car after we get there since hubby will be in school from 5 AM to 5 PM from what I've heard. We would like to pay a nice chunk of it cash without totally depleting our safety net while we wait for reimbursement.

Seahorse: Thanks for the heads up. We realize this, but we will have to play by ear and be prepared for either scenario. His school, in general, qualifies dependents to be relocated to Corry Station. We didn't get the information from a recruiter, but from another wife who made the PCS to the same school recently after her husband finished BC as well as the general rule regarding PCS to A school, which states that if the school is longer than 180 days in one location dependents are qualified to relocate.

[sailorwifenmom]

It might take a bit longer because he's going to a school command right out of boot camp, but as long as your paperwork is in order, it usually only takes 2 or 3 weeks once everything is submitted.  

But I would suggest waiting a week or so after he gets there before moving out, so he has time to make sure they know you're coming and its good to go as far as you being authorized and everything.  (This won't be an issue after this move, If he's authorized dependents, then you'll be on his orders and you can just go with him.)  

What rate is he going to be?  My husband, son, and I have all been through Corry at one time or another for schools :-)  

Also, since you are already married, you should be getting BAH while he's in boot camp, so, depending on your financial situation, you can save some of that for moving, then just pay yourselves back so to speak when you get your pcs money all deposited.