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"Assigning this level of blame to the commanding officer does not let the chain of command and 'Big Navy' off the hook."

Prior proper planning

Let's break it down, Barney-style.

They both carry stuff, but the C-130 is way better at it.

No combat deployments. No significant personal awards.

PCSing to coastal California is a dream assignment to some: beautiful weather, an abundance of things to see and do, and the Pacific ocean! And yes… there is also a higher cost of living than many areas you may have lived before. It means being stationed at the home of the 1st Marine Division, the oldest, largest and most decorated division in the United States Marine Corps. It’s a large installation, spanning more than one county, and can be a different experience for many military families. So let’s dive in and explore your new duty station, then head over to PCSgrades.com to see reviews for base housing, neighborhoods, and more!

You have orders to Fort Hood, Texas, one of the largest military installations in the country. Welcome to The Great Place! Fort Hood lives up to the saying, “Everything is bigger in Texas.” You will see this with the vast spaces, houses, CAV patches, as well as great traditions you will come to love.

Our guest is Rick Marsh: Director, Defense Personal Property Program at U.S. Transportation Command

The current home buying climate can be confusing to many military families who are preparing to move and want to buy a home. With so many worldwide uncertainties around COVID-19 and the DoD limitations on traveling, many military families are forced to rely on technology to find the perfect home. Buying a house online can be risky and intimidating.

When you first get PCS orders for a military move, a thousand questions start running through your mind. You don’t even know how to prepare for a PCS move. You look around and start asking, how are we going to move all this stuff? What about the car? And the pets? And the kids? And then there are all the big questions about your new duty station– what will it be like? Where will we live? Schools? Jobs? Ahhhh! No matter how many times you have moved before, a PCS move is stressful and can feel overwhelming.

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?