Relocation Assistance

Your Military and Family Support Center provides relocation assistance to help make PCS moves as smooth as possible. Resources include:

• PCS planning: Most relocation assistance programs offer consultations to help you with the moving process. If this your first military move, your first time moving overseas or you have challenging or complex circumstances contact your installation Relocation Assistance Program as soon as possible for support.
• Plan My Move: An online Defense Department relocation tool that provides you with customizable checklists and links to helpful resources for the tasks ahead.
• Military OneSource: A website and call center that offer 24/7 support for moving information and resources. Learn more about PCS basics and download this fact sheet 7 Steps to Make Your Household Goods Move a Smart Move. For comprehensive moving resources and information, including Defense Personal Property log in details, visit Moving Your Personal Property.
• Workshops and briefings: Workshops vary by location. You may find classes on housing options, moving with children, moving with pets and more.
• Predeparture briefings: These sessions provide essential information about your move and may be required for some populations.
• Special needs: If you have a child or family member enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program, contact your installation EFMP-Family Support office to assist you.
• Settling-in services: Look for welcome programs or local area tours that may offered. Overseas services may include introductory language classes and cultural awareness activities.
• Foreign-born spouse support: Assistance includes information and referral to resources such as immigration and naturalization.
• Emergency assistance: Sometime emergencies occur while moving. The Military and Family Support Center has the resources to provide emergency financial assistance, as well as information and referrals.
• Authorized housing flexibility options: Eligible service members with PCS orders may be entitled to flexibilities such as extended stays in government housing and early housing eligibility. Contact your military personnel office for more information.
• Spouse licensure reimbursement: Your service branch may reimburse spouses up to $1,000 for relicensure and certification costs resulting from relocations or PCS moves. See this Military OneSource article Transferring Your Professional License for more information and specific service branch policies.

Relocation services located at Camp Foster with satellite offices at camps Courtney, Schwab, Hansen and Kinser, provides assistance to all Service members and their families who are relocating from one duty station to another.

Types of Services

• Pre-departure planning
• Determining needs and priorities
• Destination information
• Sponsorship assistance and training
• Lending Locker

We also provide relocation workshops such as the Newcomers Orientation Welcome Aboard, smooth move workshops and sponsorship training.

Newcomers Orientation

Start your tour off right. Okinawa is a wonderful duty station and a great place live for the entire family. Learn about this beautiful island and all the opportunities you can take advantage of during your tour. Newcomers Orientation allows for members to listen to representatives from a multitude of service organizations, learn about the culture of Okinawa and responsibilities as a member of the military community. Orientation is mandatory for:

• All accompanied United States Marine Corps and United States Navy service members (all ranks)
• Civilian employees
• Military and civilian family members ages 10 and older
• All unaccompanied USMC and USN (E-6 and above) and civilians (all grades).
• New arrivals are required to attend orientation within two weeks of arrival.

Smooth Move Workshop

Let us assist you by providing the right information at the right time. This two-hour workshop is conducted in person twice monthly and has a self-paced virtual option. Facility experts from the Distribution Management Office, Disbursing , Financial Counseling, Housing, and Relocation Services conduct overviews on benefits, paperwork and relocation preparation. We provide helpful hints, checklists, pamphlets, resources, and vital information on clearing housing, DMO shipments, disbursing allowances, claims, financial planning, and more. We recommend attending the workshop at least six months in advance. Orders are not necessary for attendance.

Sponsorship Training

Relocation Services acts as coordinators for the Navy and Marine Corps Sponsorship Program. To ensure optimal transition, the program requires that all personnel ─ regardless of rank, marital status, assignment to an accompanied or unaccompanied tour ─ be assigned a sponsor. Sponsorship program information is to be provided to the transferring service member by their command, along with the notice of permanent change of station transfer.

For relocation services, call DSN 315-645-2104 or commercial 011-81-98-970-2104. Email mcbb_reloassist@usmc.mil or visit the website.