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Senior Airman Elizabeth Baker
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Attention to those packing up and leaving the Kaiserslautern Military Community: Moving companies that support the KMC have already reached their capacity for customers until June 20. The 86th Logistics Readiness Squadron Personal Property Office advises movers to call them four weeks before moving to begin booking the process.
This year, May to July is peak moving season for personnel in the KMC, according to Staff Sgt. Donald Perez, 86th LRS Traffic Management Office flight administrative training manager. Perez expects additional blackout days throughout the summer as TMO continues booking moves.
Perez said many members wait too long to begin the household moving process, thereby causing additional stress to the already stressful moving process. In worst-case scenarios, members have to leave their possessions in someone else’s hands and sign over general power of attorney, or there is a potential for loss of assignment.
“It really falls on the outprocessing members to get their orders to us in a timely manner,” Perez said.
Members can’t get too far ahead of themselves, though. Perez discourages purchasing airline tickets or terminating housing leases until members have received a date of confirmation, via email or phone call, from a local mover. TMO’s policy is to book no earlier than four weeks out.
Perez said that it is good to keep in mind that, from the point of booking, the entire moving process takes an average of two weeks, depending on the customer. The process is as follows:
1. After completing the 86th Military Personnel Flight’s out-processing checklist, members will receive their PCS orders.
2. Members must take their PCS orders to the 86th LRS TMO PPO on Ramstein, Bldg. 2106. The PPO will not accept draft orders.
3. The PPO gives the member a date for a briefing that will go over tentative dates, how to prepare the house, what to expect from the moving company, any personal questions, and the difference between household goods, unaccompanied baggage, and professional gear.
4. The moving company will do a pre-move survey at the member’s house or over the phone. The survey is to estimate the weight of the member’s goods and any items that require special care.
5. The moving company will call and verify that everything is taken care of, and will do a final walkthrough. Depending on the member’s possessions, the moving company will recommend planning one or two days for moving.
6. On the date that the moving trucks are scheduled to arrive, a quality control inspector will inspect the items to be shipped and make sure everything is compliant with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
It is very important to keep personal documents, such as passports, in a safe place while the movers are working. This will ensure that the movers don’t unwittingly pack up necessary documents with everything else. To contact the 86th LRS PPO office and begin booking the moving process, members may call 06315365509, or DSN 480 5509.
