Compensation for this post was provided by Defense Mobile via MSB New Media. All opinions expressed in this piece are my own.
As we all know PCSing can be challenging, and Overseas to Stateside PCS even a bit more so. We are currently on our 5th PCS, and it’s our 3rd Overseas assignment but we’ve had to go back to the States in between. Here are 5 tips to make an Overseas to Stateside PCS easier! It’s gotten even easier with DefenseMobile and it’s great cell phone service for military families!
1. Make sure you do an unaccompanied baggage shipment as well as a HHG one. While house hunting can take awhile you can get your unaccompanied baggage delivered to TLF. We send the essentials like extra clothing, stuff to entertain the kids, some kitchen stuff, tools, school stuff, etc. The basics to get you by until you get your HHG’s because they can take awhile to arrive from overseas!
2. Use colored duct tape to stay organized! Let the packers do their job and pack it all up. After they are done go through each room and put 1 color on all the boxes, use a notebook and label each color with the corresponding room. When you arrive at your new home put a piece of the colored duct tape on the door frame of the rooms. This make it SO much easier for the packers to put boxes in the correct rooms.
3. Know how far you need to ship your car in advance. While it is much easier to get a rental car in the States it’s not reimbursable so good planning will help you to save money. We normally ship our car at the max amount of days they are allowed, so if they have 6 weeks to get it to the receiving port we ship it 6 weeks out prior to our departure. That way we’re only 1-2 days without it in the States or if we time it just right we can get it as soon as we arrive.
4. Start a calendar of when you need to turn off services like internet, cell phones, etc. Overseas there are many stipulations and if you don’t cancel a good 3-4 months out you’ll be paying for several months after you leave! A calendar will keep all the information handy and you’ll know when you need to cancel what services. Some services like internet may require a letter to be mailed to confirm termination.
5. Start planning for technology needs in the States like cell phone service! This is one of the first things needed after a PCS so you can house hunt, register for schools, set up appointments, etc. One of the hardest decisions I always face is spending hours online researching cell phone ‘deals’ to make sure we’re getting what we need. DefenseMobile has helped to simplify this process! They offer a 4G LTE service that is exclusively for military service members and their families, as well as Veterans! Best of all it runs on multiple networks so can be used when you PCS Stateside, go TDY, or even after you retire. Plus you can try them out risk free for 30 days and if your not satisfied they will refund your money.
I think the best part of DefenseMobile is that there are no contracts and no activation fees! And you can even bring your own phone, to use with them as well. This makes them at the top of my list for sure and I know we’ll be looking into their service when we are headed back to the States.
Right now they are offering a special where you get 25% off your first 3 months of service by using SIM25 at the checkout!
How to use the code:
1. Visit shop.defensemobile.com.
2. Purchase a SIM card or new device and a plan.
3. Enter the promo code SIM25 at checkout!
The best steps to having a successful Overseas to Stateside PCS are by planning ahead and taking a little bit of time to do some research to make sure you are prepared. You need to make sure your stuff makes it quickly and safely, you have transportation, and are quickly connected back into technology, especially if you have teenagers like we do 😉
I would piggy back on the car thing and make sure you have plenty of time to ship it. Because if you have a lean on your car sometimes the place you have a loan from will take forever to give you a letter allowing you to even ship your car….