The BIGGEST Mistake Military Spouses Make After A PCS

Welcome to your new home for the next 2-5+ years. You didn't want to come here at all. Actually, it is probably the last place you wanted to have your family sent to.

Sound familiar? It does for me.

Let's go back a few months. We were stationed in Arizona when we found out we were moving to the post lovingly called, "The Armpit of the Army." I mean sure it was closer to family (by that I mean a much shorter plane ride) but that was about the only positive thing I could find.

Fast forward to now, my mindset has completely changed. I realized I was about to make a huge mistake when we first PCSd here. It was the same one I made at our first duty station.

I did not take advantage of the community around me.

Sounds simple enough right? For a majority of spouses that is not the case.

I felt some sort of animosity toward the world around me since it was not the one I grew up in. While this is an extremely childish approach, this is the one I took. I felt that "those people" wouldn't get me, wouldn't understand, etc. etc. I could not have been more misguided.

I didn't want to be a "joiner" just because I wanted to make friends. I didn't want to seem desperate for friendship, even though I was. I tried to fight the advice of others and do things the my way. I missed out.

When you first get to your new duty station you absolutely need to immerse yourself in the community. You need to be everyone's friend or join every club, you need to get out of your damn house. I found every excuse in the book to not be involved, to the point that I did not go to a single FRG meeting, meet-up, etc. at our first duty station.

I don't just mean the military community either. The civilian community is one that many military members and their families do not get involved in. But why? How else would you learn about the best kept secrets where you live without them?

Do not put limitations on your friendships to fit some narrow idea of what relationships in the military should be like. Deployments will come and you will be lonely. The friendships you make can dull that sting a bit and help you appreciate your even crappiest duty station a little bit more.

6 Questions to Consider When Moving to a Short-Term Assignment

You probably see a lot of people ask for opinions on moving home for deployments, but about about moving home during schools or short-assignment?

Your spouse will likely be sent to some form of school or short-term assignment at least once in their military career. These courses can last for up to a year or more.

Many spouses are faced with the decision of whether or not it is worth to pack everything up and move once again. Some spouses support going with their spouse, while others choose to stay behind.

Here are the most important questions to ask yourself when making this decision:

1. How long will we be apart for?
  It could a few months, or over a year. Is the distance worth it even it could be for quite a while? Some couples handle time apart better than others, and that is okay! This could be a tiny factor or the deciding factor in your decision.

2. What will their schedule be like?
 Will they be busy to the point that you only see them on the weekends? Could they only have to be in class a few hours a day? The best way to find out this information is to seek the guidance of other spouses.

 I reached out to the spouse Facebook page on the base where his training would be and asked this question. You will most likely get the best and most honest answers that way!

3. How would my career be affected? 
Steady employment is hard to come by for many spouses. If you have a career you love where you currently are, you might want to stay. It can also prevents gaps in employment which so many spouses have.


4. What about the kids?
If you have children, this can be a much more stressful decision. Is the move in the middle of the school year? Would my kids thrive in a new place for only a few months? Should we ask what they think?

Children can be greatly affected by frequent moves. You have to figure out what is best for your children and their happiness.

5. Does it make sense financially?
Would it be a strain on your finances to stay behind or to move? If you were not able to relocate a job, could you survive on one income?

Are finances fun to talk about? Absolutely not! However, finances are usually the main factor in deciding if you should stay or go. 

6. What comes next?
Will you PCS to a new location? Is a deployment on the horizon? Planning ahead (and having a plan b, c, d etc.) is essential.

My husband deployed a few months after we got to our current post. We had just come from a short-term assignment for a training course. We were there for a little over nine months. Looking back, I'm happy made the decision to stay due the deployment. However, I did miss having a job, I was frequently bored, and we were in Arizona....in the summer. 

What works for one marriage won't work for another. I feel like a broken record saying that, but so many people forget it. Some would never stay behind while others find it odd to pack up and move. No matter what happens, you will wonder if you made the right decision and that is okay! What matters is, that you made the decision as a couple.

Having a spouse in the military comes with a lot of tough decisions. While this might not be the toughest one you make, it can be scary. Please know that you are alone and that many of us have been in the same place you have! I hope these questions help guide your decision, whatever that may be!

10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Moved Away From Home

I have yet to meet a person who was 100% prepared when they moved away from home. Walking away from everything you've ever known to a new place is terrifying.

I was born, raised, and went to college all within about a 75-mile radius. When I got engaged, I decided I was going to quit my job and move to Colorado. I didn't know anyone other than my husband, didn't have health insurance at the time, and had no idea what moving across the country entailed.

Looking back, there are A LOT of things I wish I did differently.

1. Money Matters
When I first moved away, I did not have much of an interest in anything finance related.

I wish I did my research. I didn't build a budget, ate out often, paid for everything on a credit card, etc. etc. I would use my lunch breaks as an excuse to go to Sephora.

I don't even want to think about the money I wasted on junk.

What changed my mindset? Dave Ramsey. If you haven't heard of him, I HIGHLY recommend you grab his books, listen to his podcast, and watch his videos. He is no-nonsense when it comes to being financially stable. Click Here for Dave's Podcast. I used to listen to it nearly constantly when I started to get serious about money.

2. Long Distance Friendships Are Worth It
Making friends after college is difficult. We're all on different life paths, have different careers, etc.
The military throws a very interesting curve ball with friendships as well.

How many friends have you met at a duty station only to have them move away three months later? Probably quite a few and IT IS THE WORST.

When you have lived your entire life in essentially the same place, you have probably left quite a few friends behind. I've seen many spouses say that they haven't kept up with their friends from home or friends who have moved away. This is probably one of the biggest mistakes you could make.

Relationships matter. Friendships matter. The loneliness I felt when I first moved to Colorado would probably have been ten times worse without my friends.

This is the age of social media and constant connection. You have no excuse to not keep in touch. It doesn't need to be every day or even every week. Even a ten-minute phone call from two times zones away can change your day.

3. Learn How To Cook
Going off my first point, learning how to cook is VITAL. I don't mean cooking mac and cheese from a box, I mean actual meals.

Not only are you saving money, it forces you to make healthier choices. You don't need to become a culinary master. It took me almost two weeks to figure out how to properly bake chicken.

Hop on Pinterest, find some easy recipes, and get cooking.

4. Don't buy expensive furniture
You will move a lot with the military. You will live in different places and in different climates.

When we lived in three states in one year, our stuff took quite the beating. We have had friends who have couches disappear, bedroom sets destroyed, and a plethora of other horror stories.

Don't waste your money on furniture that might not survive a move. This doesn't mean you need to buy a $50 dollar couch...but maybe don't buy a $2500 sectional.

5. You will have culture shock
I figured moving anywhere in the United States would not give me culture shock. The whole country has pretty much the same stores, same food, etc. I was beyond wrong.

Where I grew up, you always had to be going somewhere and doing something.

Turns out most of the country is not like that. I had to get used to a slower pace, overall nicer people, and stores being closed at seven. It took me a couple months to not get creeped out when strangers tried to strike up a conversation in stores.

6. You will be homesick

7. Explore as much as possible
I sincerely regret the weekends I spent not doing anything. I could have spent that time driving to one of the many mountains in the area. Now that I live in an area that is completely flat, I miss those hikes more than anything!

8. Visit home as often as you can
For those who are a plane ride away, this is not always a financially feasible option. If you can save up enough to go home even twice a year, do it. I was too wrapped up in my job, getting settled in a new place, etc. I should've made my family and friends back home a bigger priority.

9. You will have to get acclimated to the climate
In Colorado it snowed sideways. In Arizona it was so hot trashcans melted. In Oklahoma the thunderstorms are so bad it is like something out of a movie.

The first year will definitely be interesting when it comes to weather. Give yourself time to adjust and invest in pieces that are perfect for the climate. If I didn't have my winter coat in Colorado, I would probably still be frozen solid somewhere in the Rockies.

10. You will change
The twenties are tough. You're trying to figure out who you are without your parents and the safety of everything you've ever known. It is scary and sometimes, it is downright painful.

But it is beyond worth it.

You will grow. Your relationship will grow. Your confidence in yourself will grow. There are too many positive outcomes to not take the chance.

  

So You're Waiting For PCS Orders....

  

 If you want to learn a lot about accepting the things you cannot change...marry someone in the military.

   I don't want this to seem like waiting to find out where in the world you are going next can feel like a thousand years, but sometimes it does. In a world where Uber can deliver your food (but not where you're stationed obviously) and Amazon can overnight bed sheets and cereal to you if need be, we've become accustomed to convenience. We expect results and answers faster than ever before and if that doesn't happen....we panic.

   I used to make the excuse that I grew up in the New York Metropolitan area where everyone moved a thousand miles a second. If you were five minutes early you were late and I have definitely nearly mowed people down trying to make a train. However, I now realize my excuses are useless and there is no way everyone I grew up with is running around like their hair is on fire. 

  We have currently been waiting for my husband's orders to our next post since the end of July. We are scheduled to leave at the end of October....and there is no timeline in place. Would I call this a lack of communication and organization among those in charge? I mean sure, I could probably call them many things but will it change the outcome? Not one bit.

   Not only will it make me look like a fool to continue whining and complaining but, to put it bluntly, the Army does not care what I think at all. I am a dependent, I am not a necessary component of the mission. Do I support my husband? Yes. But can a shoot a howitzer if the enemy is coming near while in Afghanistan? No...also I'd be terrified. It doesn't matter where I want to be, it matters where they need my husband. 

   Instead of looking at how other people are causing these problems in my life, I need to realize that the ONLY thing I can control is how I react. In a way, I am relinquishing the burden of staying up at night wondering the ifs and whens of what will happen next for us. There are no guarantees that I will know his orders tomorrow, next week or even next month. We have precious time left where we currently are and there is so much we still have left to see and do. I don't want to remember my final fleeting moments here being sad, scared and anxious. 

   My power and control will have nothing to do with where we go next or when we find out. I can make a conscious decision to allow myself to acknowledge what I'm feeling, but not let it control me. We will all eventually leave where we are now and odds are will not return. We cannot allow the stress of this life around us to hinder our joy and stop us from enjoying where we are. 

   The orders will come and with it the stress of moving again. But it will happen and until then, enjoy what time you do have left.

The 5 Best Things About Living On A Small Post

 Many of us do not like the prospect of living on a smaller post. I was one of those people who was worried that there would not be enough to do or see. It can be even harder if the area around you does not have a bustling town right off post or nearby.

  When we went from being stationed on a base of 40,000 people to a base of only about 7,000 people. To make things even more interesting we went from a small city that had 200,000 people to a town that has about 40,000. These aren't' tiny towns by any means, but it definitely is an adjustment regardless.

  HOWEVER, I have found that there are some pretty awesome things about living on a smaller post.

1. A Greater Sense of Community
   I grew up in a suburb in New Jersey where it was hard to have a small town feel next to NYC. One of the benefits of living on a smaller post is a small town feel. I love taking my dog for walks on post and being able to meet people or just enjoy to peace and quiet. I feel like I am in a quaint neighborhood in a small town instead of just a few miles away from a shooting range.

2. Hidden Gems
   The great things about small posts are less overt sometimes than bigger posts. Our current post boasts amazing trails up into the mountains as well as sunset horseback rides! The massive post we came from before had no such thing.

3. Getting Creative Juices Flowing
    We don't have all the amenities we were used to while living near our other post. We have had to get creative with what we wanted to do with our time and how we were going to do it. This had led us to actually plan our weekends and make set plans with friends. In a way, it has made me much more organized and better at learning about the area around me for what to do, who to see, and where to go.

4. Easier Time Making Friendships
     I won't say that I didn't meet fantastic people at a bigger post, because I absolutely did! When there is less going on around me, I feel like I am more inclined to reach out and meet other people or simply make the effort. This is a definite character flaw of mine but I'll admit that I am easily distracted and sometimes forget to make time. Since there is simply not as much to do on your own where we are now, it has been great to hang out with others who are in the same boat.

5. "You are where?"
    Our new post is so small that many people don't know where it is or that it existed. I like that I have been able to see what big and small posts have to offer. Plus, it can be fun to share your experience with others who might only have been at the huge posts. I compare it to when the hipsters find a coffee shop in Brooklyn, then everyone gets interested and wants to know more.

      Do I wish the mall here had more than one floor? Sure. Do I still get kinda confused by the fact that the commissary is closed on Mondays? Yup. However, I can definitely say that I am happy for this experience that not all people get to have. They say we will be leaving in the late fall.....I'll believe it when I see it. Until then, I will keep enjoying this spot where the Army has sent us.
   

5 Things You Need When You PCS to the "Worst" Place on Earth

Your spouses' orders are in! You are going to the middle of nowhere with a neverending winter for three years! It's two hours north of nowhere and the equivalent of the 7th circle of hell...or so you've been told.

The military has some "interesting" places they choose to send people to. We might try to avoid these places the best we can, but the needs of the military come first...or better or worse.

Our current post is this exact place. I had multiple people tell me how awful this place was. There is nothing to do and nowhere to go. 

I decided I was not going to have a terrible experience...even though I thought I might. 

To have the best experience at your next post...you need to have 5 things (wine is not included but encouraged). 

1. An Open Mind

   People can tell you all they want about their experience at a post and sometimes they might be right. People have loved Fort Polk....yes, Polk. People have also hated Fort Carson for reasons I cannot fathom but that is okay. 

    Everyone is different and we all come from different places and previous experiences. No one is going to have the same feeling about a post and no one can tell you exactly what it is like. Your job hunt, spouse's unit, neighbors, etc. etc. will be entirely different from other people's experience when they moved to that post.

   Take EVERYTHING with a grain of salt and come to your own conclusions before just accepting the attitude of everyone else around you.

2. Research

   I love trip advisor. Not because I can necessarily afford a trip anywhere right now, but because I can learn more about the places around the area where I am going to be living. I was able to find amazing spots in Arizona so far that would not have gone near at all if I didn't do some quick online searches. For example, did you know Arizona has a wine country??? Also that they do shuttle bus tours to those wineries??? 

   Joining spouses pages on facebook has also helped me find little things like a good dentist and a woman who does the most AMAZING eyebrow waxing on the planet. They send out useful info and are great at answering questions. Keep in mind, some of these groups have a bit more drama than others...so keep that in mind.

3. Embracing the Differences 

   I am originally from North Jersey (it is different from South Jersey so it is important to make this distinction) and am used to everyone moving at a million miles a second. The fact that I have moved to a place where everything shuts down by 8:00 pm is insane to me. However, this slower pace has been a lot better for me. 

I feel like people are less stressed out here, but that could also be because most of them are retired.

Either way, I have learned a lot from moving away from my comfort zone. For all of the craziness the military can throw at us, I have learned a lot from living in parts of the country I never thought I would even visit.

4. Your Tribe

    I knew a woman who was stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma for six years. Most people hate Sill with the passion of a thousand suns. 

    

    I asked her if she missed and she responded, "What I miss the most is my friends. I hate the most fantastic group of girlfriends ever. "

     When you really think about it, being sent to a place with not much to do really makes people come together. You are able to come together with other spouses who are in the same boat as you are. If you want someone to just sip wine and commiserate about the endless winter you now live in...you can do that! This is a great opportunity to learn new about new places, job opportunities and just create fantastic friendships!

5. A Chance

     Just go easy on yourself and your new place. You might end up loving it or you might simply just want to light the whole place aflame. I was in a mourning period when we PCSd from Carson. After about two weeks I knew that would not be happy if I didn't just try to enjoy this journey. 

     Post assignments do not last forever but they will leave an impact on you no matter what. We all want those dream assignments but sometimes we will end up at places that are nowhere near what we wanted. I have learned so much about the army, myself and the place I live since we PCSd. I did not think I would even remotely enjoy my time here but I know I will be sad once we leave. 

5 Things PCSing Taught Me

PCSing season is upon us yet again! Some of us are moving to new states, new timezones and even new countries. 

This time can be both exciting and scary for many of us! 

We recently made our trip from Colorado down to Arizona for our next post and it was.....an experience. I won't say everything went perfect because it absolutely did not but I learned A LOT along the way.

1. Save yourself time and stress by researching packing hacks

    I am a terrible packer. My journey toward minimalism has made me a slightly better packer, but I still loathe it. I turned to Pinterest for packing ideas and inspiration. I found a ton of great ideas but my favorite had to be the garbage bag hack. 

   If you hate having to put clothes back on hangers after a big move. THIS HACK is amazing! It probably saved me about two hours since almost all my clothes are on hangers.

2. Your air mattress will feel more comfortable after a few days

   After a week and a half on an air mattress I think I actually began to sleep okay...either that or a severe case of Stockholm syndrome. Honestly though, our air mattress was a life saver. We bought it at Walmart and we have had all of our visitors (over ten people) use it and it hasn't popped! 

3. Prepare for the worst

    I know that this sounds extremely negative and a bit dramatic...but you seriously need to be ready for anything. 

    

This is my car on the side of the road right outside of a town in New Mexico. My car was full of our belongings and was now completely dead on the side of the road. This lead to a wild journey in our other car through Las Cruces to find a U-haul truck. By the time I got the truck and got back to my husband who was waiting for the tow truck....we had twenty minutes of daylight left to move everything from my car to the uhaul.

What happened to me is an extreme situation of course, but always be prepared the best way you can. On long road trips anything can happen. If anything else, make sure you have a first aid kit, water bottles, food, flashlight, jumper cables, and all items needed to fix a flat tire. 

We are very lucky to live in a day in age where cell phones exist but in many parts of country (including our new house) the reception is not good. It is not going to help relying on a phone especially late at night.

4. Something will break in the move

 We were lucky to have great movers despite some of the horror stories I've heard. However, we did have a few casualties break in the move. My biggest piece of advice is to wrap anything that you feel to be very valuable and irreplaceable yourself. I was a control freak who wrapped all our wedding china like it was a newborn. 

 We lost a couple serving platters and have a claim in process with the moving company. So far it has been an easy process. But after driving a uhaul through a border patrol checkpoint in New Mexico to pick up my stranded husband...almost everything was easy.

RIP Watermelon Shaped Serving Bowl 2015-2017

5. Take this new journey as an opportunity

  I was not super excited to leave Colorado at all. I had dreamt of living in Colorado since I was a kid. The best piece of advice about new duty stations I ever got was "It is what you make of it that will make the difference."

   The great and sometimes no so great thing about the military, is that we get to experience new places. I would not have visited most of the places I've seen in the last few years had it not been for the Army. 

   New towns, new foods and new journeys are all waiting no matter if you're going to a new state or a new continent!

10 Perfect Podcasts for A PCS Road Trip

If you are anything like me, you LOVE listening to podcasts. I listen while cleaning, driving, falling asleep, and even at the gym. I am about to drive 11 hours to our next post and will be needing to listen to something to pass the time. 

I have found my top 10 podcasts that will help your road trip through boring parts of the country more bearable.

1. Car Talk

   Car Talk has been an institution on NPR for years. Tom and Raymond Magliozzi from Cambridge, Mass take callers questions on their automobile issues. This duo is laugh out loud funny with fantastic Boston accents and you can learn a thing or two about cars. Although sadly Tom passed away in 2014, their episodes are still available in podcast form. 

Fun Fact: Both brothers are MIT grads who then got into car repair.

Average Episode Length: 1 Hour

Suitable for All Ages

Photo Credit: NPR

2. Lore

   For those who enjoy history and scary stories, Lore is for you. Host Aaron Mahnke has quite possibly the best voice of any podcast host. Aaron takes listeners on a journey through the scarier side of history with tales that can send shivers up your spine. Episodes cover everything from haunted mausoleums to warlock cults.

   The podcast is set to be made into a TV show sometime in 2017 and has won multiple awards for its amazing historical retelling of some not so great moments in time. 

Average Episode Length: 20-30 minutes

Suitable for Ages 14+

Photo Credit: LorePodcast.org

3. Welcome to Night Vale

   This was the podcast that started my love affair with the podcast world. Welcome to Night Vale is the home of the fictional desert town of Night Vale's community radio. This desert town is just like any other except for the issues with the Sheriff's Secret Police, the glow cloud, a five headed dragon named Hiram McDaniels and so much more.

   The community radio includes updates like the community calendar, the weather, traffic, and a reminder that the dog park does not exist. To truly understand the genius of this podcast (which is also a book) give it a listen! 

Average Episode Length: 25-30 minutes

Suitable for Ages 14+

Photo Credit: DeviantArt

4. Up and Vanished

    Up and Vanished explores the disappearance of a Georgia beauty queen and teacher Tara Grinstead. The case had been unsolved since Tara's disappearance over 11 years ago. Director Payne Lindsay decided to try to solve the case himself after hearing about it from his family who lived near Tara. This podcast has caused MAJOR breaks in the case that will finally give us the answer to question "What happened to Tara Grinstead?"

Average Episode Length: 30 min-1 hour

Suitable for ages 16+

Photo Credit: Rolling Stone

5. This American Life

    The podcast that started other famous podcasts like Serial and S-Town is perfect for long car rides. I honestly don't really know how to describe this podcast so I'll let the show's founders describe it themselves.

"One of our problems from the start has been that when we try to describe This American Life in a sentence or two, it just sounds awful. For instance: each week we choose a theme and put together different kinds of stories on that theme. That doesn't sound like something we'd want to listen to on the radio, and it's our show.

So usually we just say what we're not. We're not a news show or a talk show or a call-in show. We're not really formatted like other radio shows at all. Instead, we do these stories that are like movies for radio. There are people in dramatic situations. Things happen to them. There are funny moments and emotional moments and—hopefully—moments where the people in the story say interesting, surprising things about it all. It has to be surprising. It has to be fun."

Bottom line...it is amazing and you will not be disappointed. I am also aware that is an extremely generic and uninspiring review so just trust me and listen to the podcast dammit!

Average Episode Length: 1hr 
Some episodes are more age appropriate than others use discretion.

Photo Credit: Iserotope

6. 1A
 1A's name is inspired by the 1st Amendment which protects our freedom of speech. Host Joshua Johnson explores hot button topics in our country with a panel of experts on topics ranging from politics to pop culture. According to their website, "1A’s goal is to act as a national mirror—taking time to help America look at itself and to ask what it wants to be." What I really like about this podcast is that they take questions from callers of all different backgrounds and beliefs. 

Average Episode: 30-45min

Most episodes are suitable ages 16+ but some are definitely more suited for ages 18+

Photo Credit: 1a.org

7. Anna Faris is Unqualified
   The star of the NBC show "Mom" and wife to my celebrity crush Chris Pratt, has a great podcast for people who love comedy and celebrities. Guests of the podcast vary from Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls to Katie Couric. Anna and Co-host Sim Sarna are completely unqualified to give advice on anyone's relationship and it is hysterical.

Average Episode 1hr-1hr 30min
Suitable for ages 18+

Photo Credit: Soundcloud

8. The Minimalists Podcast

     If you are looking for a calm podcast where you can learn about not only decluttering your life but just living an overall better life...this is your podcast! Hosts Joshua and Ryan were living the life that most people dreamed of. They had luxury cars, big houses and just a ton of stuff and decided it wasn't giving them the life they wanted.

Even if you are not planning on become a minimalists, you can learn tips to live a better life with less stuff and less stress. These guys are all about making things like creativity, travel, passions, relationships etc. more important than stuff. It is a relaxing podcast that has a message we all need in this day and age.

Average Episode Length 1-1 45 minutes

Suitable for all ages 

Photo Credit: The Minimalists

9. Sword and Scale

      True crime junkies will become addicted to Sword and Scale. The tagline of this podcast is the "The show that reveals that the worst monsters are real," if that gives you an insight into how dark this show can be. There was a time where I listened to this podcast for two weeks straight and was too scared to sleep...in a good way. 

     The great thing about this show is that the editing is phenomenal and the stories are usually ones I have not heard of before. I will give a disclaimer that some of the topics covered may be too much for some listeners. There has been more than one time when I listen to this podcast and I just rip out my headphones and say "This is too much." However, I think these stories need to be told for the victims, their families and a warning to others. 

Photo Credit: Sword and Scale

Average Episode Length 1hr 15min

Suitable for Ages 18+

10. She Explores

    If you love the outdoors and/or exploring the world like I do, then you will love this podcast! She Explores started as a blog for women who enjoy the outdoors, travel and simply exploring the world around them. Host Gail Straub interviews women who thrive off of adventure and talk about what they overcame to reach their goals or find their passion. This podcast has truly inspired me and makes me want to get back into nature again.

Average Episode Length 30-35 minutes

Suitable for all ages

What do you pack when the Army moves your crap?

We're moving!....and the Army is moving our stuff.

This is the first time we have had the military move our household goods. For anyone who has done this before, you know the pros and cons. 

It is a great benefit to not have to worry about moving your furniture across the country and sometimes to the other side of the world. I would definitely be much more nervous about this move if we had to move the majority of our stuff without the military's help.

In our case, the movers will be moving our HHG a week before we leave our current post. We will then wait about two weeks to receive all our stuff at our new post. 

Other than the air mattress we will be sleeping on...there are several other things you will want to keep with you so you don't have to buy things you already have. 

This is a working list and please comment if you have more to add! This is a general list and should be adjusted to fit your needs. Especially those who are going OCONUS

1. Sheets and pillows

2. Air Mattress

3. Towels

4. Shower Curtain (Especially if the biggest window in your new house just happens to be in the bathroom)

5. Cleaning Supplies 

6. Important Paperwork (Passports, Marriage Certificates, Insurance info, etc.)

7. Coffee Maker 

8. Pet Supplies (dog bed, litter box, medication, etc.)

9. Your Pet (should be obvious but moving can make you forget things)

10. Clothing

      - Keep in mind the climate you are moving to and if you have any events that may require certain types of clothing before the rest of your closet arrives (i.e. weddings, interviews, formal events, etc.)

11. Ammo (the government movers will not move ammunition of any kind)**

12. Computers

13. Sentimental Items (we will be moving our wedding china, pictures, etc. with us)

14. Alcohol (military movers will not ship alcohol)***

15. Small Tool Box

16. Plates, Cups, Utensils, Oven Mitts, Baking Sheet, etc. 

     **Keep in mind when moving CONUS that different states have different laws. This especially applies to firearms. If you have any question about moving firearms the ATF's website is a great place to start.

   

     This Link provides a state by state breakdown of what is lawful and unlawful in regards to everything from concealed carry permits to transportation of weapons across state lines.

    ***Certain states and counties have strict wine and liquor laws especially when it comes to transporting alcohol over state or county lines. While you should be okay as long as the alcohol is for personal use, check with the state's liquor board website if you are still unsure.

For a more in depth look at moving with the military www.Move.mil is a great resource!