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.

The Army Community Service Relocation Readiness Program (RPP) is housed at 9810 Lee Road. RRP staff will do their best to help make your move to Columbia a smooth one. We offer Newcomer’s Orientation for Soldiers and Families, sponsorship classes. English as a Second Language as well as citizenship and immigration resources. We also have a Lending Closet full of household items including pots, pans, dishes, cooking utensils, flatware, sleeping mats and cots, tables and chairs. You will need a copy of your orders and, if you are unable to come in, your spouse can pick up the household items with a copy of your orders. More information on Fort Jackson and the surrounding Columbia/midlands region can be obtained by stopping in, or by calling 803-751-5256, option 3 or 312-734-5256.

Lending Closet hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. closed the first Thursdays of each month, weekends, and holidays.

Installation-Specific Information

The RRP office at Fort Jackson offers services for newly arriving Soldiers and their Family members. Program services, which include the Lending Closet, are specially designed to make the transition into our community an easier, more pleasant experience.

• Lending Closet - The Lending Closet provides basic housekeeping items for temporary loan to incoming and outgoing families and in other cases when determined appropriate. Items include pots and pans, dishes, silverware, irons and ironing boards, toasters, coffee makers, sleeping mats, and other items. Items are loaned out for 30 days; however, extensions are granted based on inventory. Orders to Fort Jackson and an identification card is required to check out items. We do not provide baby items, bed linens, pillows, or towels. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. closed the first Thursdays of each month, weekends, and holidays. All lending closet services are provided curbside. Call 803-751-5256 for additional information.
• Newcomer's Orientation - The Post Newcomer’s Orientation is held on the first Thursday at the NCO Club to welcome Soldiers, Family Members, and DoD Civilians and provide information on programs and services available on and off the installation. Starting time varies and is provided upon Soldier's in-processing Fort Jackson. The orientation is mandatory for all Soldiers and required for all Civilians arriving Fort Jackson. Spouses are encouraged to attend. This will be a great opportunity for spouses to receive first-hand information about the valuable available resources on and around Fort Jackson. Additional information may be obtained by calling Army Community Service at 803-751-5256, option 3.
• Relocation Counseling - Relocation counseling is provided on an individual or group basis. It is available to both inbound and outbound personnel. Those preparing for their first permanent change of station move or first overseas PCS are required to call 803-751-5256, option 3 to make a one-on-one appointment.
• Sponsorship Training - IAW FJ Regulation 612-4, Total Army Sponsorship Training is conducted upon in-processing. Local community and on-post information are available for sponsors to send before arrival. Youth sponsorship training is conducted by Child and Youth Services. To find out more about youth sponsorship, go to the youth sponsorship section of CYS or call 803-751-6150.
• In/Out-Processing - The RRP office is an in/out-processing point at Fort Jackson where detailed information on ACS programs and services are provided. All Soldiers are required to in and out-process ACS.
• Classes/Workshops - The RRP office provides pre-move and post-move briefings, welcome information, Lending Closet items, Phase II Levy "Overseas" briefings, citizenship and immigration services, ESL resources, and information on all military installations worldwide.
• Foreign Born Spouse Support - English as a Second Language (ESL) Assistance/Classes, and USCIS assistance/resources (study guides/flash cards).
• Hearts Apart Program - The Hearts Apart Program provides support for families of Soldiers who are deployed, on extended tours of duty or on unaccompanied tours of duty.

To contact the RRP call 803-751-5256, option 3 or DSN 312-734-5256.

The Army Career Assistance Program assists active-duty, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers, Civilians, and their Family members in the transition from military to civilian life. The two main functions of this program are the Transition Assistance Office and the Job Assistance Center. The TAO prepares an Individual Transition Plan to assist the client with all available transition services and makes referrals based upon the client's needs and desires.

The TAO and the JAC help the client with the total job search process. The JAC conducts monthly seminars and workshops where the client learns about resume writing, translating military experience into civilian terminology, marketing and networking skills, how to dress and prepare for job interviews, job offers and salary negotiation, and other job search skills.

The JAC has a job announcement bulletin board and both a manual and an automated reference library made up of veteran's training and labor market information from each of the 50 states. The JAC offers automated Army Employer and Alumni Network, Defense Outplacement and Referral System, America's Job Bank, and executive search system entries.