PCSgrades

As the coronavirus pandemic forces us to be stuck at home all day, it can feel a bit like you’re stuck in your own unfunny version of Groundhog Day. But being on lockdown doesn’t mean that you have to be weighed down by boredom, anxiety, and stress. You just need to make sure you’re making the most of your time and we’re here to help you with that.

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, it can be hard to feel like you’re making the most of your time. While we all love binging Netflix and sleeping in until noon, you probably find yourself wishing that you were being a bit more productive. Maybe you’ve thought about learning a new skill or getting started on a new career path but you’re not sure where or how to begin.

Whether its Peterson AFB or Fort Carson, welcome to the ‘Springs’! Not only an outdoor lover’s paradise, Colorado Springs also offers many art and cultural experiences throughout the year. Let’s dig into your new duty station and find out what it has to offer.

The VA Loan is a benefit available to active duty and veterans when they are financing a home. This year, several key changes have made the VA Loan even more useful and beneficial for military families. We met with Bryan Bergjans of Caliber Home Loans to learn how these newest changes will impact families looking to PCS or buy a home in 2020. Bergjans is part of an initiative to educate veterans and industry professionals about this benefit, and in the past year Caliber has educated over 2 million people regarding the VA Home Loan Benefit.

The summer months bring vacations and time off from school for kids. But military kids often have other things happening over the summer months such as saying goodbye to friends or moving across the country (or world) during a military move. Social media is full of memes and images talking about how military brats will say goodbye to so many people in their lifetime and how resilient they are. Those of us who get to raise military kids know exactly how true this is, especially the resiliency part. PCS season is hard for the whole family, but how often do we hear from the kids involved?

In mid-March, the DoD put all permanent change of station (PCS) and temporary duty moves on hold due to the Coronavirus pandemic, leaving hundreds of thousands of military families in various stages of preparation for the annual PCS season in limbo until further notice. If you’re facing a delayed PCS, you’re likely also facing some personal finance questions related to your move. The good news is, there are many resources and tips available for families facing these unprecedented circumstances and the military community is always ready to support one another.

Waiting on orders is frustrating. You know you are a ‘mover’ this year, but that’s all you know. You may not know where you’re going, or when. When your spouse attends a school, everyone is a mover. It’s not a question of “if” you will move this year, but “when.” This year, with the DoD delays because of Coronavirus, there is an even greater sense of uncertainty and insecurity. It’s difficult to prepare for a move when you don’t know where you are going. But there are things you can do now while you’re waiting to help your upcoming PCS go more smoothly.

Are you one of the thousands of military families that are stuck in PCS limbo? The recent DoD stop order on military travel has affected many military families waiting to move or preparing for an upcoming PCS. Now that the stop order has been extended indefinitely, with constant reevaluation every 15 days, families may not know more than two weeks in advance when they will finally be allowed to move. If you have ever PCS’d before, you know that 15 days is not enough time to prepare for and execute a PCS move.

Right now, military families are playing a terrible game of “hurry up and wait.” In an ordinary year, this would be the peak of PCS season. Military kids would be celebrating their final weeks at one school before transferring to another one over the summer. Families would be planning summer “vacations” to visit their relatives and do sight seeing during cross-country PCS moves. But of course, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is no ordinary year.

Any normal year, nearly half of all military families would be gearing up for PCS season. However, this season is anything but normal. The COVID-19 crisis has consumed our country, if not the globe. Our new normal is living life on hold, while homebound and swallowing hefty doses of uncertainty with every news cycle. Many military families are in a hurry-up and wait phase, feeling helpless and anxiously awaiting the PCS process to continue.

In October 2019 my family started moving from our previous station in Ecuador to Virginia. It is now spring 2020. It took six months from the time we started our moving process to get where we are today. PCSing is a long game, and each time I play, the move requires every tool in my toolbox to complete the transition. The moves do not seem to get easier, but I know through experience we will get through it.

Military kids move much more often than their civilian peers, averaging a move every 2-3 years. Every PCS move means a new house, new school, new friends, and new routines. It is a lot for a child to adjust to and accept. Sesame Street for Military families has created a variety of online tools and programs to make this process easier for military families. If you are preparing kids for a PCS move, here are some tools to help your child make the most of the experience.

This is our second week in total and complete lockdown and our 5th week homeschooling our children. Why? Because my military family is currently stationed in Northern Italy; where COVID-19 has impacted tens of thousands of people. But not all is lost. I’d like to share with you some things I’ve learned in the last month living in the hardest hit area of the world, and perhaps you’ll ponder these takeaways as you navigate your new normal during this international pandemic.

For military families struggling with stop orders on PCS moves and uncertain dates, the tax extension can be a welcome relief. For those wondering whether or not to continue moving forward on a home purchase, we pulled in an expert to help you make important decisions before you PCS. So, buckle up, let’s talk about taxes and home ownership and taxes.

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