R 111815Z MAR 20
MARADMIN 159/20
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC L LP WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/2020 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 2020) with direction and information on how to ship and store their Personal Property, also known as household goods (HHGs), unaccompanied baggage (UB), mobile homes and privately owned vehicles(POVs).  This MARADMIN also emphasizes the importance of completing the Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS) for each shipment made during the PCS. Paragraph nine (9) of this MARADMIN recognizes the importance of pets as members of the Marine Family and coordination is required to receive pet space 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 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, to 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.  Review the questions and answers provided under the FAQ tab for Frequently Asked Questions to determine who can use the Defense Personal Property System (DPS) for Counseling plus other valuable information.
2.b.  Marines conducting their first move, separating or retiring must receive additional counseling from the local PPO prior to submission of their shipment application using the 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.  Marines must also be able to validate that all safety recall repairs have been performed on the POV prior to turning the POV in to a Vehicle Processing Center.
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 formerly known as Do It Yourself or DITY move), that are required to complete shipment and/or storage applications.
3.b.  Additional Counseling and Contact Information:  There may be local PCS workshops and Transition Assistance Program briefs available.  Marine Corps Distribution Management Offices (DMOs) should provide additional local guidance and policies on shipment andstorage of personal property; DMO Personal Property Office hours of operation, contact phone numbers for Quality Assurance Inspections, and other relevant information 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.  LPD-2’s Public Page for PCS Move Information related to Passenger Travel and Personal Property Shipment and Storage is located at:  https:(slash)(slash)www.iandl.marines.mil/Divisions/Logistics-Plans-Policies-Strategic-Mobility-LP/Logistics-Distribution-Policy-Branch-LPD/PCS2/ and 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 fr all DoD service members and civilian employees.
3.c.  Counseling Webinar Videos and Tutorials:  The Marine Corps Personal Property and Passenger Transportation Section (LPD-2) continues to partner with the Navy’s NAVSUP to develop variousvideos and tutorials of Counseling Webinars.  Links to these videosand tutorials can be viewed at:  https:(slash)(slash)www.navsup.navy.mil/public/navsup/hhg/home/
4.  Actual Move.
4.a.  Planning Move Dates:  Marines MUST provide Primary and Alternate move dates, 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 to provide Moving Companies with advance notice to ensure supportability.  The most popular peak season pick-up dates (the peak of the peak season) 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.  Note:  OCONUS movers will have multile shipments and a different company using their employees and local agents will perform each shipment.  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.  Shipment break-ins will be charged to the individualMarine, so to avoid those costs, schedule pack, pickup and delivery ates accordingly.
4.b.  Move Application Processing and Follow-Up Actions:  Marine Corps 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 (JPPSOs).  A JPPSOrepresentative may contact some Marines to ensure the applicationm 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 local agent responsible for packing and picking up theshipment, should issues arise requiring immediate resolution.  At destination, Marines may need to contact the destination PPO Quality Assurance Section.  Origin PPO Counselors will annotate the contact phone numbers of Origin and Destination Quality Assurance Sections in Block 13 Remarks of the DD1299, Application for Shipment and/or Storage of Personal Property.  In the event the DD1299 is misplaced, Marines may use www.move.mil/resources/locator-maps to locate the nearest PPO Quality Assurance Section and look up associated phone numbers.
4.d.  PPM (DITY Move):  BE IN CONTROL OF THE MOVE.  There are several benefits to executing a PPM, especially during peak season; (1) Marines choose who, when and how to move their HHG, (2) money in the Marines' pocket based on how much they do themselves, (3) no delays in receiving the HHG at destination, (4) MARINES ARE IN CHARGE OF CARING FOR THEIR OWN HHGs.  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 50% of the expected cost to move the estimated weight.  Currently, the Government Travel Charge Card (GTCC) cannot be used for any expenses related to a PPM.That may change in the near future and will be announced via a MARADMIN or other suitable tool by the responsible organization here within the Headquarters.  The PPM (Do-It-Yourself) Estimator is located under Helpful Links on the www.move.mil homepage.  Note that 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 https:(slash)(slash)www.logcom.marines.mil/Capabilities/Personally-Procured-Move/ 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 (Completing the Customer Satisfaction Survey):  The Defense Transportation Regulation, Part IV, Personal Property, Chapter 401, paragraph 401-G4h requires all users of the Defense Personal Property Program to acknowledge the following statement (in writing) prior to shipment: “I understand that I am required to complete the DPS Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS) upon completion of my shipment. Failure to do so may result in my Service being notified.”  Service members and civilian employees must complete the CSS seven (7) days after the delivery is complete for each shipment executed during the PCS.  The ratings, comments and scores given to the Moving Company DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE toward eliminating poor performers from the current Defense Personal Property Program and ensures only the best moving companies get the most shipments.  Commanders are highly encouraged to require confirmation of completion of the CSS as part of the Inbound Check-in process.  During Calendar Year 2019 only 27 percent of Marine Corps sponsored shipments received a CSS score (7,588 out of 27,961 shipments), the second worst performing Military Service.  TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EVERY MOVE, MARINES MUST MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD BY COMPLETING THE CSS BECAUSE IT DOES MAKE A DIERENCE.
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 OCONUSassignments.  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 Officeto determine availability of on-base housing.  The housing modernization project will impact availability through Fiscal Year 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.  Loss and Damage Claims:  For DPS shipment claims, please visitthe guide located at www.move.mil/moving-guide/claims.  For non-DPS claims such as damage to the residence by the Moving Company, or if Marines still have questions on their DPS claims, Marines should contact the Navy Personnel Claims Unit at (888) 897-8217, (757) 440-6315 (DSN 564) or email NorfolkClaims@navy.mil.
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.  The Inconvenience Claim process has been significantly streamlined over the past several months to makesubmission of a Claim easier.  Contact the local PPO for specificinformation on qualifications for an Inconveninence Claim and thenew process for submission of the Claim.
7.  Professional Books, Papers and Equipment (PBP and 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 for the Spouse.  All Pro Gear requests MUST be submitted to the local PPO for consideration BEFORE the move.
8.  Customer Bill of Rights.  Marines should read the Customer Bill of Rights posted on the Marine Corps Personal Property Facebook Pageat www.facebook.com/usmchouseholdgoods. The Customer Bill of Rights is currently undergoing a rewrite so the revised version, when published, will be posted in the current location.
9.  Transporting Pets.
9.a.  The key to a successful pet move is early planning and constantfollow-through.  Marines who are made aware of assignments transferring to, from or between OCONUS locations are encouraged to immediately visit their local Passenger Transportation Office (PTO) located within the DMO to establish transportation requirements for pets.  Be aware it may take up to six months to complete all the requirements for ensuring your pet(s) can be imported to an OCONUS location.
9.b.  PCS orders are NOT required to submit for pet space.  Because pet reservations will be apportioned on a first come/first served basis, pet transportation needs should be identified to the local PTO as soon as the Marine has a general idea of required departure month.  Reservations will be finalized when USTRANSCOM schedules the flight o/a 90 days prior to departure date.  At that time, pet space requests will be submitted by the PTO.  However, because the limited space on the Air Mobility Command-Patriot Express (AMC-PE) is available to members of all Services, there is no guarantee of a reservation no matter how early a Marine registers a pet movement requirement. Once Marines complete the PCS Outbound Interview they need to follow up with the PTO to finalize all travel arrangements.
9.c.  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.  The maximum weight allowed for combined pet and kennel is 150 pounds.  Marines are responsible for obtaining an authorized kennel/carrier bolted with metal nuts/bolts that providesadequate ventilation and ample space for safe pet movement.  Soft-sided pet kennels/carriers may be accepted for in-cabin movement only.  See the recently expanded AMC Pet Travel InformationPage at https:(slash)(slash)www.amc.af.mil/Home/AMC-Travel-Site/AMC-Pet-Travel-Page/.
9.d.  Other options for moving pets include services offered by regularly scheduled commercial airlines, both US and Foreign Flag-carriers, and dedicated pet relocation services.  Regardless of the method used for moving pets, all dogs/cats going to or returning from overseas require a health certificate from a certified veterinarian.  The animal health screening process may include several visits to the veterinarian, a quarantine period, andshots which may take at least six months prior to the expected travel date to complete.
9.e.  Marines who moved their pets to Japan via the United Airlines (UAL) Pet Safe Program may be able to use UAL Return Home Exception program one final time to move the pets back to CONUS or other OCONUS locations.  Marines need to contact UAL directly at 1-800-575-3335 to verify qualifications and secure a reservation.  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 for additional information.
10.  Myths versus Facts.  The correct source for information related to shipment/storage of personal property and passenger transportation for Marines, Civilian Marines, and their Families is the local DMO PPO or Installation Transportation Office Personal Property Office.  After hours, Marines and their Spouses are encouraged to review the wide variety of information and quality products generated by US Transportation Command (USTC) and the Military Services on the official DoD website for Personal Property PCS, Separation and Retirement Moves at www.move.mil.  Get the right information from the right source!
11.  USTC also staffs a Customer Support Center for non-technical issues (such as “I can’t get DPS to accept my counseling application”) and can answer most questions concerning your move.  Contact them when local support is not available at (833) MIL-MOVE or (833) 645-6683.
12.  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.
13.  Release authorized by BGen D. W. Maxwell, Assistant Deputy Commandant, Installations and Logistics (LP).//