Back in the day, this was called ‘homesteading’, allowing people to extend tours, especially overseas or in areas with multiple bases in the same geographic area.
Military members should be moving less frequently for greater stability — and to save taxpayers’ dollars, according to defense officials who have set the process in motion for those reductions.
In a memo announced Wednesday, Pentagon officials ordered the military service branches to cut in half the amount of money they spend on permanent change-of-station, or PCS, moves by fiscal 2030. DOD spends about $5 billion a year on these moves, which include the physical moves of household goods as well as allowances and other entitlements related to moving.
Of course, after a few years, the complaints started coming from folks who ‘wanted’ to go to these locations from ‘less’ popular locations…
Or folks that needed one of those locations to put a check in the box for a particular billet that somebody had been camping in for 6, 8, or 10 years, going from E-6 to E-8/9 because those billets got extra rating points.
There are benefits, especially for family members who work and can get promoted, or have school aged kids who want to stay with their friends or graduate from a particular location.
I will admit it will be better than what has happened in the past where ships/squadrons changed homeport or bases while deployed forcing dependents to shoulder the entire responsibility for moving, selling a house, buying a house, moving the kids, getting multiple vehicles across country, etc.
If this succeeds (for now), I expect to start hearing grumbling in 5-6 years about camping on good billets, yada, yada, yada…
I moved 8 times in 20+ years, not counting deployments. I knew folks that were moving every two years on the average, and others who just bounced base to base to base (Mayport, NAS Jax, NAS Cecil) and lived in the same house for their entire careers.
I don’t know what the standard for Army folks is now, but when I was in (US Army-Europe) 1972-75, an unaccompanied tour was one year, and an accompanied tour was three years.
Another factor is that not every MOS has a slot in every base. My NCOIC had a friend who had an MOS that was only stationed in Korea and one base in the US (maybe Fort Sill).
My family wasn’t military, but my step-dad was a commercial pilot, and we moved around A LOT. I started first grade in San Antonio, then we transferred to Macon, then back to San Antonio, then Miami, and finally Key Biscayne. So five moves, four schools, three states during my first grade year.
That sort of thing puts a lot of stress on a family, and civilians don’t have any kind of institutional support system that the military has.
Or allegedly has.
My wife became great at moves , I was gone a lot . The Navy back then was very helpful , and the experienced wives were very helpful . My wife learned the ropes , and we traveled light , not much household goods, though the Navy sent out packers and unpackers .
First place we got , as a recently married (and pregnant) E3 , was a little apartment in Bremerton off Kitsap . We went garage sale shopping , and got some good stuff . People were giving us stuff for free . We got a waterbed (remember those?) , it was comfortable. We also had a fold out couch and a black and white TV with rabbit ears set on a cinder block and board tv stand . I thought we were styling . Happy Times . I drank Olympia beer because it was cheap (Oly) . One time we running a little short in the bank account , but making it okay , we were leaving the commissary after shopping , she yelled “stop” , so I did , she jumped out , walked 20 feet and picked up a 100.00 bill blowing in the wind . I knew she was my good luck charm for sure . I liked those days, being young and flying by the seat of our pants .
I heard that Bahrain is an accompanied tour , I can’t imagine that .
Oly? Rainier, made with recycled Seattle sewer water (allegedly).
Well it was what it was , good enough for Clint Eastwood and his orangutan , good enough for me . Cheap and cold , drink it fast before it goes flat . Another monkey reference NFO .
Addendum: We also broke the free garage sale kitchen table whilst getting amorous one evening . Slam , right flat to the ground we went.
Boats: Heh. Oh, to be an E-4 again. RE your abused table: turns out we were poor and smart (without knowing it) as we didn’t have a table to break and the mattress was on the floor. Good times.
Happened to a BM3 buddy of mine off the Yosemite. They celebrated their wedding night a little too well and broke the kitchen table.
The frequent PCS moves are a thought from post WW I. The generals were concerned that the active duty would become more like the Guard, similar to families, and would not give close friends dangerous assignments such as take that hill, or bombing heavily defended targets.
The WW I casualty figures showed that the Guard units aligned with the active duty ones even when charging German machine guns across no man’s land.
Tell me about those “homesteaders”. Had a common MOS that required a high security clearance. Did a RVN tour then reassigned to Germany. Did three years then back to CONUS. Yes sergeant, we guarantee you a minimum two years and an a hearty thank you for your service. Fort Monmouth, easy peasy thank you. Just got comfortable, nice apartment off post, met a beauty, looking forward to some good times. Four five months later, SgtMaj calls, says I got a set of orders for deployment for you. I call up personnel, ask what about two years guarantee? Sorry, you have a critical MOS with stateside positions held by civilians. OK, can’t miss movement, kiss beauty bye notify landlord and hop on board. Come reup date personnel calls and tell me that CO wants me to come to HQ for oath and by the by, you are high on the new E-7 list. Sorry, not happening, I am out. Never looked back.
Boss and I to Korea with instructions to knock off the “throw 20 bucks on the table and have a brawl” mentality. Had people on third extensions there and further ones were denied. Go back to the States. I observed they were easily identified by their bending slightly at the waist (a slight bow) when saluting. It was a hell of a 2-year tour.
Nine PCS bases, four 6 month tdy’s SEA, to many short tdy’s to note. All in 12 years Air Force, joined Army Guard, got AGR slot, never moved, got 20 for active duty retirement.
I had the misfortune of being sucked into the vortex known as Naval Station Norfolk/Oceana Naval Air Station.
I always wanted to do a couple of tours on the West Coast, but this place is like hotel California…you can check out any time you like, but you can’t never leave.
There is virtually every type of billet imaginable here, with the notable exception of VP squadrons. My third tour I ended up in an HSL squadron in Norfolk. I changed platforms every three years, even did a short tour of duty as ship’s company on a carrier, but never left the Norfolk area again.
If you have a family and get stationed here…might as well buy a house and settle in for the long haul…most likely you’ll be here for a while.
My kids grew up here so when they grew up and moved out, they stayed here, so I’m still here too. Been here 35 years now. I’ve lived here longer than everywhere else combined at this point…including the 17 years at the farm I grew up on.
We’re planning to move elsewhere for retirement when the time comes, but for now my job is here so here I’ll stay.
For the Army, the constant churn of the individual replacement system is training for wartime casualty replacements. You always lose friends. You always have to integrate and train the new guys. You always have to promote your own to fill open positions.
My son went from Ft Carson to Dugway Proving Grounds. Talk about the end of the road past the end of the road!
I see where the Hegseth announced an overhaul on moving allowances including 120% for those who choose to move themselves.
All- Thanks for your comments, and yes, we were young, stupid, and didn’t know any better! But we got the jobs done and started families in spite of what we went through. SailorCurt, I didn’t think about NORVA area, but yes, everything but VP was there. WSF- Oof… that IS the definition of middle of nowhere!
FIL black shoe Navy. Married in ’49 just after my MIL graduated OK State. They moved 17 times in 17 years with the last one to Norfolk. That last move was the only one that my FIL was NOT at sea for. My MIL is a FONT of moving knowledge particularly Navy moves.
YNC on my ship in Pearl had 11 years in HI. First assignment from boot was Pearl. Told the detailer “anywhere but here.” Answer, NAVSTA Pearl.
Carlton- I can believe that.
Bob- Oof… I did ONE tour in Hawaii and couldn’t wait to leave.
This would be one of those issues for which there is no good solution for everyone. Just a fact of life for those in the military.
I met my wife in college in the 70s. She was from a Navy family and all of her brothers and sisters were born at different Naval Bases. Even though both of us were both of California based families she was born at the Naval Base is Washington State. She had 5 other brother and sisters.
Dan- That it is…sigh
JG- I can easily believe that!
In 20 years my longest assignment was 2.5 years at Ft Ord.
That was when I was single, once I was married my stateside assignments got shorter.
7 short/”hardship” tours, zero, count ’em, no accompanied overseas tours.
And my CO wondered why all of my troops he interviewed for reenlistment said “And let you screw ne like you screw my Platoon Seargeant?!”