Jennifer Limerick, Proud Army Wife
My husband is TDY and just received PCS orders to a new duty station. I want to be proactive in preparing. Is there anything I can or should start doing? – Gina
Gina,
That is a great question! With your husband on a temporary duty assignment (TDY), it would really depend on how long he is gone for and when the report date is for your permanent change of duty station (PCS). It is always best to try and get as much information as possible about the duty station you are PCSing to. If you are interested in living on post, I would contact the housing office of your new duty station. The best way to do this is to Google the installation that you are going to. There is usually a section that has information about “newcomers” or “housing.” Some installations will allow you to fax in a copy of orders to get on the housing list, others require you to actually be there so it is best to call and find out their policy.
You and your husband will also have to discuss how you and your household goods will get there. You have two options where you can move yourself: DITY (Do it yourself) or a partial DITY-you can get more information about those from the transportation office at your current duty station. Now that we live in the age of Facebook, most installations and even some units have Facebook pages. You can also go on there to ask questions.
There is a lot to do if you are moving! I would ask your friends or anyone that has moved with the Army to see if they could give you some pointers as far as keeping track of all of your belongings. Keep in mind that if you are trying to set up appointments for your husband, like for transportation or to get on the housing list, they will more than likely need a POA (power of attorney) for your husband giving you permission to act on his behalf. Again, you would need to contact these agencies to see what their requirements are. Good luck and, with anything in life, your new duty station is going to be what you make of it!
-Jen
In January, I heard a lot about volunteering on the Martin Luther King holiday and seen a campaign about it on ABC. I would like to start volunteering, but don’t have much time during the week. Where should I start in finding ways to volunteer, and does it have to be with my soldier’s unit? – Mike
Mike,
First, I would like to applaud your effort in wanting to volunteer-this Army is built on volunteers to include our soldiers! I, myself, am a FRG Leader, and when I have someone who wants to volunteer I always ask them what they like to do and how much time do you want to devote. A lot of people think that the only place to volunteer as a spouse of a soldier is the FRG but there are so many options out there! Once you have decided how much time you can devote to volunteering and what you like to do, the first place that I would go is to your local AVC (Army Volunteer Coordinator) office. Most AVC offices are found at the ACS (Army Community Services) office but check with your local ACS. Not only are there places on post to volunteer but off post as well. Some of the great places to volunteer, besides the FRG, would be the USO, boy and girl scouts and animal shelters. The beautiful thing about volunteering is that you can volunteer as much or as little as you want and it will still make a HUGE difference! Good luck in your volunteering endeavors.
-Jen
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Jennifer Limerick is an Army Veteran, Army spouse and mother who just enjoys this Army Wife Life! Send your questions to Jen@armyspousemag.com.
