To get started with your PPM/DITY move, you need to visit your local Transportation Office (TO) — also called the TMO, JPPSO, PPSO, or PPO depending on your installation. Regardless of the local name, this office is an essential part of any military move. You must visit them for counseling before departing — skipping this step can cost you some or all of your reimbursement.
Move counseling and planning tools are available online at Military OneSource, which has absorbed most of the moving-related content that used to live on the DoD's old Move.mil portal (Move.mil itself is being retired). The department has also been shifting installations to a newer scheduling system called MilMove as part of the Global Household Goods Contract — if a link, portal, or process your TO mentions looks unfamiliar, ask whether your installation is on MilMove yet.
The TO is responsible for arranging shipment of your personal property. This can take a few forms:
- First, a full service moving company can be contracted by the military to move the property (a traditional PCS move).
- Second, you can arrange to be reimbursed by the military for moving your own goods at your own expense (a full PPM/DITY).
- Third, a combination of both (a partial PPM/DITY).
Ask your TO what won't be reimbursed. The military won't pay to move things like houseplants, pets, or food — your TO will walk you through the current restrictions.
Once you've visited your TO and committed to at least a partial PPM/DITY, it's time to carefully examine the options available to you.
Helpful Hints
- The military uses a centralized database to determine the official mileage between duty stations for PCS mileage reimbursement — a separate thing from your PPM/DITY reimbursement, which is based on weight and distance. Your TO can tell you the "official" mileage.
- The TO can get very busy, especially during peak moving season. Set up an appointment well ahead of your move, ideally a couple of months out.
- Keep the documents you receive from the TO somewhere safe — you'll need them at your destination. A dedicated folder or envelope works well; keep receipts and weight tickets with them too.