Meet with the transportation office on your military installation as soon as possible, to make sure you get all the right forms to process the move. Take advantage of any military benefits that might be available to your family, including Dislocation Allowance pay for miscellaneous expenses, or a temporary housing allowance.
Military members can choose whether they want the government to move their belongings for them, or whether they'd prefer to do it themselves. The Do It Yourself (DITY) program lets service members move their possessions themselves and pays them 95 percent of whatever it would have cost the government to ship everything. Contact your transportation office for more information about a DITY move.
Before you start packing, purge your excess inventory by having a garage sale or donating to Goodwill. Keep a photo catalog of your valuables, bellaonline.com suggests, in case of damage during the move. Pack several days' worth of clothes and comfort items, such as the children's pillows or favorite stuffed animals, just in case the moving van arrives late to your destination.
Before moving day arrives, get prepared by gathering all the important documents you might need, such as birth certificates and social security cards.
Find out everything you can about your new home weeks before you move. You'll want to know everything from its climate to its local attractions, school systems or area clubs that you and your family might like to get involved in. Share the exciting things you find out with your children. The more they look forward to their new home, the easier the move may be for them.
Search online for photo galleries of city streets and the surrounding areas, and look for chat rooms where you might meet new friends or find out what's going on in town. Find the websites for the local newspaper or television station for a taste of the local flavor.
The military website emilitary.org suggests you start building a support network immediately after moving to a new town. Meet new people by volunteering, visiting your neighbors or joining a club.
