Holy Bureaucracy, Batman!

meltoine · December 2009

So I've been flipping through my copy of Married to the Military (hot Friday night, right?) and I just realised that OCONUS moves are a lot more complicated that FI made them out to be. I feel a nightmare coming on.

StarJay · December 2009

Yeah, I just got finished reading the stuff for a stateside move, and am a little stressed. I can't even imagine what it'll be like for an OCONUS. At least you know its been done thousands of times before. (I've even done it, but was a kid at the time who just did what Mom told me to do...lol) Just double check everything, and say a few prayers!! Not much else you can do, I'd imagine.

Spunkchin · December 2009

I'm in the middle of our first one right now. Now that we have orders the ball is rolling and I feel better about it.

This is what I know so far ... The movers are coming three times next week: 1. Quick shiment 2. Long term storage 3. big overseas shipment. Get your military, no-fee passport going so when you get it back and you have orders they can get going on your visa. Document ALL of your stuff before move time. If you have a pet, check your gaining country for health certificate and quarantine requirements and do them ASAP, which may mean using a vet off base. There are also medical forms you have to get checked so they can make sure you'll have adequate care when you get where you're going. Don't get mad at your H when stuff doesn't happen quickly or correctly!

meltoine · December 2009

Thanks! Where are you moving?

We are still about 5 months out from the move, but there's a lot of stuff happening in between LOL. Wedding April 10, honeymoon April 11-26, PCSing May 1.

FI checked on the pet thing, apparently Egypt has very lax standards for importing your pet, so we don't have too many worries on that end. I'm more concerned with getting the poor dog back into the US when this assignment is over.

As for the other stuff, I keep asking FI about it and he tells me that he will find out, but he never makes the calls! I know he's got a ton of stuff going on too, (he's finishing his master's at AFIT and writing a thesis and all) so I've asked him to point me in the right direction to get started on stuff, but I'm totally lost.

Good luck with your PCS :-)

texaslolamy · December 2009

After FI finishes his job training, we will likely be stationed in Okinawa, Japan. I don't even want to think about it yet!

minekellyrich · January 2010

oh the things I have to look forward to! I know that my FI will be stateside at first for this initial training, but then later on he may go to be stationed overseas...first move is most likely california however for the job and from talking to others that have graduated and comissioned before him (if the pattern continues)....whats this "Married to the Military" book? Is this official military reading or a really good barnes and noble best seller?

good luck with the overseas---We all will probably be there at some point. Additional comment--good point about documenting everything for military arranged moves so that nothing is lost!

arparsley · January 2010

Make sure you get your medical clearance done early, that's what held us up because there was a mistake in communication we had to wait for my clearance before we could get me added to his orders and therefore everything including TMO/my visa etc had to wait until then. He had to move his Final appointment date back a week or so and we got orders changed, packed up the house and truck and moved in three weeks. It was a crazy three weeks. We got married four months before though to make sure that part was done.

mlashley · January 2010

Yikes! I am still a year out for the wedding, but all of this stuff sounds like a lot! Is there like a class or something that teaches the wives all the info? not to mention acronyms... I have no idea what half of those mean! lol

I really hope we get a chance to live overseas at some point! I would love to be stationed in Japan my step-mom and baby sister live in The Philippines. Which is just a few hours away

SheilaE · January 2010

IMO our OCONAS move wasn't bad. Once you figure out what you are doing it all comes together. I highly suggest taking a moving class, most bases have them.

Now just throw in the mix that you have all your stuff packed of out your house in Japan, you are checking out of your house on base, and they have canceled your flights home. Then they reschedule your flights but have you going to the wrong side of the US and don't have your wife and animals booked. After that they rebook for everyone, but still have you going to the wrong location. Finally the day before you are were originally to leave they get you back on your original flight to your original location. THAT did happen to us this past summer. At one point I didn't know when we were leaving Japan, or if I was leaving with DH. Just go with the flow, that's the best advice I can give and maybe drink alot and have fun when they screw things up! LOL

Holy Bureaucracy, Batman!

Re: Holy Bureaucracy, Batman!

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