One plan, built around your move.

Verify your report date, duty location, and dependent entitlements. Request a sponsor at the gaining command, and flag any special considerations with your CPPA early — fixing errors is cheap now and expensive later.

Figure out commute zones, neighborhoods, and schools before you commit to anything. Our base + area pages give the honest read, with an interactive map of neighborhoods, commissaries, gates, hospitals, and school zones.

Most people leave real money on the table every PCS because nobody told them what they qualify for — DLA (a flat payment, automatic), TLE, mileage, and a DITY incentive that's often thousands. Start here and see your dollar figures.

Get your precise DLA for your rank (2026 DTMO rates), plus MALT mileage, TLE, and the advance pay you can request to bridge the expensive PCS months. Compare it line-by-line against your LES so you can catch a finance-office mistake.

Pull your BAH for the new base and see honestly whether it covers a target rent — coverage, monthly out-of-pocket, and a straight verdict before you start house- or apartment-hunting.

PCS orders give you a federal right to terminate a residential lease early under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Give written notice plus a copy of your orders; termination is typically effective 30 days after the next rent due date. Your base Legal Assistance Office can review the letter.

This is the biggest housing call, and there's no universal right answer — it depends on your tour length, the local market, and VA-loan eligibility. Short or uncertain tours often favor renting; longer stable ones can favor buying. Run the break-even before you talk to anyone.

The other big fork. A DITY/PPM pays you 100% of what the government would've paid a mover — often thousands of profit — but you do the work. The government move (HHG via DPS) is less work, less control, no payment. Run the profit math to see if a DITY is worth it for your move.

Anchor every milestone above to your actual Report Date so you know what's due when — pack-out, travel, check-in, and claim deadlines all working backward from the day you have to report.

Report to your new command, then update DEERS, NFAAS, and your Page 2, and re-validate your TRICARE region for the new location. Use TLE (up to 21 days CONUS) while you're between homes.

Submit your DD 1351-2 with receipts for lodging and any single expense over $75. This is where your DLA, mileage, and TLE actually land in your account. Don't sit on it; follow up with your CPPA.