R 022025Z APR 18
MARADMIN 192/18
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC L LP WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/2018 PEAK MOVING SEASON PREPARATIONS//
POC/F. D. HYDEN/CIV/LPD-2/TEL: (703)695-7765/EMAIL: FREDERICK.HYDEN@USMC.MIL//
POC/B. S. IMLER/CIV/LPD-2/TEL: (703)695-7765/EMAIL: BRIAN.IMLER@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  The purpose of this MARADMIN is to provide Marines, Civilian Marines, and their families conducting a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move during peak season (15 May through 31 August 2018) with direction and information on how to ship and store their Personal Property, (also known as household goods (HHGs)), unaccompanied baggage (UB), and privately owned vehicles (POVs).  This MARADMIN also recognizes the importance of pets as members of the Marine family and explains how Marines with PCS Orders overseas must coordinate early to reserve pet spaces aboard Air Mobility Command-Patriot Express (AMC-PE) flights.
2.  Situation.
  2.a.  Personal Property Shipment and Storage Requirements:  Once notification is received that PCS Orders are forthcoming or the Orders are actually in hand, Marines should visit the recently updated website www.move.mil.  The Tutorials link provides a wide range of subjects and information associated with the shipment and storage of personal property.  This is the starting place for Marines to learn how the move process works, locate the nearest Personal Property Office (PPO), estimate Personally Procured Move (PPM) monetary allowances, receive initial personal property entitlement and allowance information, review POV shipment and storage instructions, review instructions on claim filing, and so much more.
  2.b.  First time movers should not attempt the moving process alone.  Engage the local PPO to receive an initial counseling and instructions on how to schedule your move using the Defense Personal Property System (DPS).
  2.c.  POV Shipment and Storage:  Marines conducting a PCS move to, from or between locations Outside of the Continental U.S. (OCONUS) may be entitled to move or store one POV at government expense.  Contact the local PPO for information regarding POV entitlements based on the OCONUS destination and prepare required documents needed to ship or store the POV.  Marines must use www.pcsmypov.com to make an appointment for POV drop-off or pick-up.  For information on how to prepare POV’s for shipment or storage, review the documents Shipping Your POV, Appendix K3 and Storing Your POV, Appendix K4 of the Defense Transportation Regulation at www.ustranscom.mil/dtr/dtrp4.cfm.  Click on Appendix A-V, then click on Appendix K3 for Shipping Your POV and Appendix K4 for Storing Your POV and follow the guidance accordingly.
3.  Counseling.
  3.a.  Marines must create or update an account in the DPS and perform counseling.  Marines are encouraged to take notes on entitlements, allowances and procedures during counseling.  Upon completion, upload the required documents such as PCS Orders and endorsements, and note any questions not covered by DPS Counseling.  Contact or visit the nearest installation PPO to receive targeted counseling on questions noted during DPS counseling.  Confirm the requested primary and alternate pick-up dates with the counselor and submit any additional documents, including documents for a Personally Procured Move (PPM, also known as Do It Yourself or DITY), that are required to complete shipment and/or storage applications.
  3.b.  Additional Counseling and Contact Information:  There may be local Smooth Move workshops and Transition Assistance Program briefs available at the local installation.  Marine Corps Distribution Management Offices (DMOs) should provide additional local guidance and policies on shipment and storage of personal property, such as DMO Personal Property Office hours of operation, contact phone numbers for Quality Assurance Inspections, etc., to the local installation Communication Strategy and Operations Office (formerly Public Affairs) for publication in installation newspapers and Wide Area Network emails, if available.  The official Marine Corps Facebook Page for Personal Property is located at www.facebook.com/usmchouseholdgoods.  Sailors assigned to Marine Corps units can access the Navy Household Goods and Personal Property website at www.navsup.navy.mil/public/navsup/hhg/home/.  This website is another great source of information for all DoD service members and civilian employees.
  3.c.  Counseling Webinars:  The Marine Corps Personal Property and Passenger Transportation Section (LPD-2) has partnered with the Navy to conduct various counseling Webinars for all Marines, Sailors, and their families executing a PCS move.  The Webinar schedule is available throughout the 2018 Peak Season at www.navsup.navy.mil/public/navsup/hhg/home.
4.  Actual Move.
  4.a.  Planning Move Dates:  Marines must provide a Primary and an Alternate move date, and there must be at least three (3) Government Business Days (GBDs) between them.  Marines must complete their DPS counseling and submit their requested Primary and Alternate move dates at least 90 days in advance of their Primary move date when possible.  The most popular peak season pick-up dates are between early June and mid-July.  HHG moves in this window are difficult to schedule, so the sooner an application is submitted, the sooner the primary date can be awarded for pick-up.  Also, the first and last two days of every month are difficult to schedule due to timing on rental and lease agreements.  Requested pack and pick-up dates are not confirmed until a representative of the Moving Company, either in person or telephonically, conducts the pre-move survey.  Should unexpected circumstances require a change to pick-up and or delivery dates, Marines should be aware that new pick-up and or delivery dates may not be available during peak season.  Marines must contact the PPO counselor immediately to attempt to schedule new pick-up and or delivery dates.
  4.b.  Move Application Processing and Follow-Up Actions:  Marine Corps Personal Property Offices (PPOs) are Front Office operations and perform duties such as Counseling and Quality Assurance Inspections.  Back Office operations, such as shipment awarding and management, invoice management and selected Quality Assurance actions are performed by regional Joint Personal Property Shipping Offices or JPPSO’s.  When Marines need to make changes to their shipment application after it has been submitted to a Counselor Marines must contact the PPO immediately to request assistance in making accurate changes to each shipment application.  Some Marines may be contacted by a JPPSO representative to ensure the application change is understood and processed correctly.
  4.c.  During the Move:  At origin, Marines may need to contact the origin PPO Quality Assurance Section, the Moving Company or the Moving Company’s local agent responsible for packing and picking up the shipment, should issues arise requiring immediate resolution.  At destination, Marines may need to contact the destination PPO Quality Assurance Section.  PPO’s will annotate the contact phone numbers of both Quality Assurance Sections in the Remarks Block of the DD1299, Application For Shipment and/or Storage of Personal Property.  In the event the DD1299 is misplaced, Marines may use website www.move.mil/resources/locator-maps to locate the nearest PPO Quality Assurance Section.  Note:  OCONUS movers will have multiple shipments and each shipment will be performed by a different company using their employees and local agents.  Do not overlap multiple shipment pack, pick-up and delivery dates because it increases the risk of the wrong items being packed and placed in the wrong shipment.
  4.d.  PPM or DITY Move Marines executing a PPM inside the Continental United States (CONUS) or to Hawaii, Alaska and U.S. territories and possessions must be counseled and documents properly prepared before the move is performed.  Also, Marines may receive an Advance Operating Allowance (AOA) of up to 60% of the expected cost to move the estimated weight.  The PPM (Do-It-Yourself) Estimator is located under Helpful Links on the www.move.mil homepage.  Note, Marines who are using only their POV(s) to execute a PPM will not receive an AOA.  Further, Marines receiving an AOA may be required to accommodate a Quality Assurance Inspector’s request to verify the items listed on the weight estimator to ensure overpayment of an AOA does not occur.  Review the PPM website at www.logcom.marines.mil/Capabilities/Personally-Procured-Move and the PPM Claim Preparation PowerPoint Brief at www.logcom.marines.mil/Portals/184/Docs/Sites/tvcd/files/PPP-how-to-sub-PPM-CLAIM-rev-100616.pdf?ver=2016-10-07-150549-097 for the latest information on how to prepare and submit a PPM Claim and the estimated processing and payment dates.
  4.e.  After the Move:  After the HHGs, UB and or Non-Temporary Storage shipments are delivered, Marines MUST complete the Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS) for each shipment.  Ratings and comments must reflect the quality of the Moving Company.  The score given to the Moving Company WILL directly contribute towards eliminating poor performers from the Defense Personal Property Program and ensures only the best moving companies get the most shipments.  Commanders may require completion of the CSS as part of the check-in process.  MARINES MUST MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD;  IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
5.  Overseas Moves.
  5.a.  Overseas Suitability Screening and OCONUS counseling:  Upon receipt of PCS orders to OCONUS locations, dependents authorized to accompany Marines must initiate suitability screening through the Military Medical Treatment Facility to ensure suitability for OCONUS assignments.  Marines must make an appointment as soon as possible since the process may take an extended time period.  In the meantime, Marines should continue to plan to execute their shipment pick-up dates while this process is ongoing.  In the event the orders are modified or canceled, Marines must notify the PPO immediately for further instructions.  Additional OCONUS counseling information is also available at www.move.mil/moving-guide/oconus.
  5.b.  Marines Traveling to Okinawa Accompanied with Dependents:  Coordinate with the command-designated sponsor and the Housing Office to determine availability of on-base housing.  The housing modernization project will impact availability through FY 2023.  To obtain the latest status of available housing, contact Housing directly at DSN 315-634-0582 or kadenahousing.customerservice@us.af.mil.
6.  Claims.
  6.a.  Lost and Damage Claims:  For DPS shipment claims, please visit the guide located at www.move.mil/moving-guide/claims. For non-DPS claims, or if Marines still have questions on DPS claims, Marines should contact the nearest PPO for support.
  6.b.  Inconvenience Claims:  When HHG are not picked-up or delivered on the agreed upon dates, Marines may file an Inconvenience Claim with the Moving Company.  Contact the local PPO for additional support and details.
7.  Professional Books, Papers and Equipment (PBP&E or Pro Gear).  Net weight limit for Pro Gear for Marines regardless of rank is 2,000 pounds.  Marines may request an additional weight allowance up to 500 pounds for Spouse Pro Gear required for employment or community service.  The Spouse Pro Gear request must be submitted to the local PPO for consideration.
8.  Customer Bill of Rights.  Marines should read the Customer Bill of Rights posted on the Marine Corps Personal Property Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/usmchouseholdgoods.
9.  Transporting Pets.  The key to a successful pet move is early planning and constant follow-through.  Marines transferring to, from or between OCONUS locations are reminded to make arrangements for pet transportation at least 90 days prior to their expected flight date, especially for those Marines directed to travel via the Air Mobility Command-Patriot Express (AMC-PE) program (dogs and cats only via AMC-PE).  Of note, PCS orders are NOT required up front to secure pet reservations.  The government contracted AMC-PE rotator flights offer a discounted rate (ranging from 125 dollars to 375 dollars depending on pet weight), however, the number of pet spaces per flight is very limited and subject to a first come, first serve basis for all DoD Uniformed Service Members and Civilian Employees.  In locations like Okinawa and Iwakuni, Japan, pet spaces are in extremely high demand and book very quickly;  the following website provides helpful information (to include information concerning Pets) for those Marines and Sailors executing PCS travel to Okinawa, Japan:  www.mccsokinawa.com/welcomeaboard.  For pet transportation assistance, contact your local Passenger Transportation Office, located in the DMO at Marine Corps installations, and within Installation Transportation Offices DoD-wide or visit the official Marine Corps Passenger Transportation Facebook page at www.facebook.com/usmcpassengertravel.
10.  Keys to Success.  Early counseling, planning, preparation, flexibility, and communication are the keys to executing a successful peak season PCS move.  Contact the local PPO for additional information, training, and support.
11.  Release authorized by BGen K. D. Reventlow, Assistant Deputy Commandant, Installations and Logistics (LP).//