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My husband and I are newbies to military life. We spent many years living in the South of France before my husband was selected to attend Officer Training School and become an active-duty member of the US Space Force. So when it came time to start planning our move to his first duty station, it was a bit of a daunting task.
We needed to figure out the travel logistics of me getting to Alabama for OTS graduation from Hawaii and then both of us getting to New Jersey to gather all of our belongings to make the big cross-country move to Colorado. We also needed to figure out the best itinerary for us to get from New Jersey to Colorado in the time we were allotted while also being able to enjoy the journey.
While we are both seasoned travelers and no strangers to planning long trips, this was a new adventure for us. We’ve moved across continents but never across the United States with everything we owned in a car. We never had to follow someone else’s time constraints. And we also never got reimbursed for moving before. Everything was brand new to us.
It ended up being much easier than we expected! I’m positive it would have been harder if we had kids or lots of big furniture to move, but for our first time, I think we did a great job getting to where we needed to be on time while also building in a few cool and fun things we’ve never done before. So, I thought it would be fun to document our first PCS move in a blog post so we could look back one day to see where we started.
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TL;DR – Pre-PCS Travels
- We left France and dropped our belongings at my in-laws’ house in New Jersey.
- I stayed in Hawaii with my family while Woodrow attended OTS at Maxwell AFB in Alabama.
- We reunited in Alabama, flew to NJ after graduation, and started our PCS move from there.
- Woodrow’s first assignment and duty station took us to Peterson SFB, located in Colorado Springs, CO.
Embarking on a DITY (PPM) PCS Move
Since we didn’t have a ton of belongings going into this, we decided to do a DITY (do it yourself) move, also known as a PPM (personally procured move). Everything we owned fit into a rental minivan. Seriously! First, we had to weigh the car full and empty. The DoD reimburses for certain things when doing a DITY move. This includes:
- Per diem for food and accommodation (for the service member and dependents),
- Mileage from old duty station to new one,
- A per-pound reimbursement based on the weight of your vehicle,
- Another per-mile reimbursement that goes in conjunction with the vehicle’s weight,
- And a lump-sum amount, predetermined by different factors, including rank and family status.
It can get complicated – so be sure to save every single receipt for everything.
We also included a few leisure activities to enjoy during this cross-country PCS, but of course, these are not things that will be reimbursed. Additionally, many people choose to take leave in conjunction with their PCS to truly enjoy the time, but we decided not to, so we had four days to get from Point A to Point B and have some fun in between.
2026 Update: We are now on our second duty station in Germany! Since it was an overseas move, it wasn’t realistic for us to do a DITY move. Since we’ve experienced both a PPM and being moved by the military, I can confidently say I’d choose a PPM any day! I can go over why in a future post.
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Our Itinerary – From New Jersey to Colorado
Day 1: New Jersey to West Virginia
This day was basically just a travel day. We got a late start after arriving in New Jersey after midnight. We got up, packed up the minivan, and got on the road. Before we got fully immersed in our journey, we had to weigh the van and all of its contents.
When doing a DITY move, you will get reimbursed a certain amount based on the weight of your belongings. This can be done at any certified truck weighing station. We weighed the van full first and then empty when we got to Colorado, but you can also choose to weigh your vehicle before packing your belongings; it’s up to you.
This day, we took quite the drive, but we had no activities planned. We went south through Delaware, then through Maryland and the scenic countryside of Virginia, and eventually reached our first stopping point in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Once we got away from the coast and cities, the scenery was absolutely stunning!
We checked into the Fairfield Inn & Suites Lewisburg, which was clean and safe. The free breakfast was also a plus. With literally all of our belongings left in the car (except for important documents and electronics that were brought in with us), staying in a safe area was super important to us throughout this entire trip.
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Day 2: West Virginia Hidden Gems and National Parks
We got an early start to the day because it was finally time to have some fun! Right after breakfast, we headed over to Lost World Caverns. Touring this amazing cave is the perfect family-friendly activity to enjoy during a cross-country PCS. Our self-guided tour took about 45 minutes. The property was beautiful, and they also had a great gift shop.
Once our tour was over, we returned to the Fairfield Inn to collect our belongings and proceed to our next stop: New River Gorge National Park! New River Gorge is the newest national park in the United States and earned that honor in 2020.
This West Virginia national park is absolutely stunning! We started off at the Sandstone Visitor Center and visited several gorgeous spots throughout the park. I highly recommend visiting if you are in the area!
After a full day of exploring the natural beauty of West Virginia, we got right back on the road. Our stop for the night was at the Courtyard Bowling Green Convention Center in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Honestly, I had no idea Kentucky was so stunning! The hotel was really nice, and the people were super friendly.
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Day 3: Kentucky is Beautiful!!
Another early start – we embarked on our journey to the stunning Mammoth Cave National Park! The scenery throughout this part of Kentucky was absolutely beautiful, and I was so excited to check out this national park.
Mammoth Cave National Park is huge and offers so much to do other than the cave tours. Of course, the first thing we wanted to do was see the massive cave. Due to time constraints, we decided to do the Domes & Dripstones Tour, which took about two hours.
This was enough time to admire the incredible cave and all of its natural beauty. It is rated as “difficult”, but as someone with an average fitness level, I found it pretty easy – just long. They do a fantastic job at minimizing the slippery areas, and the guides are super funny and informative.
I’d love to go back eventually and do the Grand Avenue Tour, but that one takes approximately four hours. After the tour, we headed to lunch at Green River Grill, which is located in The Lodge at Mammoth Cave. Lunch was good, but the shining star was the mind-blowing slice of Kentucky bourbon pecan pie that we had for dessert. It was my first pecan pie ever and I’ve been obsessed ever since! We walked off lunch on the Heritage Trail down to the Mammoth Cave Historic Entrance and eventually to the Green River.
We stopped in Columbia, Missouri, just for the night and had a wonderful room at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Columbia. The room was nice and updated, and breakfast was free.
Day 4: A Long Drive to the Front Range
The home stretch!! Columbia to Colorado Springs is about a ten-hour drive, so this was a long day for us. We didn’t have any activities planned – just trying to get to Colorado Springs in time for dinner. At this point, we were pretty exhausted, so I don’t think we could’ve motivated ourselves to do anything fun anyway.
A huge portion of this drive crossed the entirety of Kansas. If you’re driving across Kansas on I-70, be sure to plan ahead on where you can fill up on gas. Gas stations (and towns) are few and far between on this stretch. It was basically 400 miles of super flat plains as far as the eye can see.
We arrived in Colorado Springs around 6 p.m. We stayed at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Colorado Springs South in a one-bedroom suite. The room was super spacious and easily fit all of our belongings. We stayed for the full 14 days that would be reimbursed as we searched for our new home.
Everyone is entitled to 14 days in either base lodging or an off-base hotel when first arriving at your new duty station (some of these days can also be taken at the departing station). If you are staying off base, you will be reimbursed based on the current rate of the base lodging.
EDIT: As of November 2024, Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) has been extended from 14 days to 21 days for CONUS to CONUS moves. Woohoo!
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FAQ
What is a DITY PCS move?
A DITY PCS move is when you handle all of the moving logistics on your own. This is a great option if you don’t have a lot of stuff or are staying in the CONUS. For this, you must stay extremely organized and keep every receipt so you can be reimbursed once you get to your new duty station. It is now called a PPM, or personally procured move.
How long do you have for a PCS move?
The length of time you have for a PCS move is based on how far your new duty station is. You have approximately one day for every 300 miles. Many military families choose to take leave at this time to enjoy a more leisurely moving experience.
Which receipts should I keep to get reimbursed?
You should keep receipts for lodging, food, and gas. You will also need to keep receipts from the truck weigh stations showing your vehicle’s weight with and without your belongings. You will not be reimbursed for any leisure activities that you enjoy during your move.
2 responses to “Our First PCS Move: Making the Most of Our Time on the Road”
Awesome article! This was a great read and very informative. I love the way you organize your info.
Thank you, Lisa!