Fort Detrick  Military and Family Support Center

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 PCS & Military Moves.
• 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.

Newcomer's Orientation is held monthly April-September during the summer months then quarterly during the winter (November and February) in the Community Activities Center, Building 1529 Porter Street.  Relocation Readiness Program (RRP) offers a Lending Closet located in the Community Support Center, that is stocked with household items that newly arrived soldiers and civilians may borrow. The RRP staff provides on-going one-on-one in-processing Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to newly arrived personnel to aid and assist with relocation and settling in services.

Installation Specific Information

The Fort Detrick Army Community Service (ACS) Relocation Readiness Program (RRP) office is here to help you and your family settle in the Fort Detrick community and also prepare you for your PCS when it's time to relocate.

The ACS RRP is the best place to receive relocation assistance and information, as it is especially designed to make the transition into our community an easier and more pleasant experience for the newly-arrived Soldier and Family members. Experience has shown that if a young family has a successful first move, later moves will be positive as well.

After you arrive at Fort Detrick, visit the ACS office and find out what's happening and when. The Newcomer's Orientation is mandatory for active duty and new civilian employees.

The Fort Detrick Lending Closet has basic household items to loan for those in moving status. In fact, there are prepackaged household kits available for loans of up to 30 days. On a case-by-case basis, items may be extended longer than 30 days.

The RRP offers pre-move and post-move briefings, overseas briefings and multi-cultural classes. Family members and Soldiers wanting to improve their language skills may inquire about English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESL) classes offered through the local community college. Spouses needing citizenship information may also contact the RRP.

For Families with a loved one living separately because of mission requirements, there is a Hearts Apart (Waiting Families) program. Please contact your RRP office, 301-619-2197/6364 for more information.