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.

JBAB has a loan locker available for your use where you can obtain items such as dish packs, tables and chairs, futons on a temporary basis for 30 days while you await the delivery of your household goods. 

The Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Newcomers' Orientation, "Right Start", is conducted once a month on Tuesdays. Contact the Military & Family Readiness Center to sign-up for Right Start, (202) 284-4473.

Installation Specific Information

While moving is always stressful, your stress can be drastically reduced if you take full advantage of the information, education, and personal assistance provided to you by the Relocation Program. This is the place to find answers & receive referrals to other installation resources as well as assistance with in-transit emergencies. The most important thing you can do to ensure a smooth move is to start planning early using the many Relocation Assistance program services & tools available.

Individual PCS Planning - Most relocation programs offer 1:1 consultation for anyone needing assistance. In particular, those making their first military move, first overseas move, or those with challenging & complex situations such as special needs family members or financial problems should call the Relocation Program for an appointment.

Military Installations & Plan My Move: For managing & planning your move, use these two DoD sponsored web-based relocation tools with information on over 250 installations worldwide. You can estimate expenses, find the forms necessary for housing & household goods, keep a calendar of events & take other necessary actions to ensure a successful move.

Loan Locker - Basic household goods items are available to borrow while waiting for your personal property pre-departure or upon arrival. The typical items in stock include: pots/pans, dishes, silverware, irons, ironing boards, etc.. Generally, towels & bed linens are not available, so these should be packed in your hold baggage.

Workshops & Briefings: The classes offered vary from installation to installation but you can generally find classes on buying, selling, & renting smart, budgeting, finance, moving with children, general moving preparation, & many other moving related topics.

Pre-Departure Briefings: Sometimes called, “Smooth Move” or PCS Briefings, you & your spouse will want to attend for sure. These briefings provide essential information that can prevent you from making uninformed & costly decisions before your move.

Settling-In Services: These may include welcome wagon services, local area tours with childcare often provided, or basic household items to use until your goods arrive. Overseas arrival services may include introductory language classes & cultural awareness training.

Deployment Support: The Military & Family Readiness Center assists unit family readiness groups, Key Spouse, & Ombudsman programs during the entire deployment cycle. Support includes services for special needs, classes on deployment preparation, managing finances, helping children adjust, family separation, return & reunion, & information on resources available locally & online.

Foreign Born Spouse Support: Whether your question concerns immigration & naturalization, learning the English language or how to take local transportation, the Relocation Program provides assistance, classes & referrals.

Emergency Assistance: From time-to-time, emergencies will occur while moving, the Military & Family Readiness Center has the resources to provide emergency financial assistance & referrals.

Transition Assistance: This is a mandatory program available to assist personnel & family members when they separate from the military. The Military & Family Readiness Center will establish your individual transition plan & refer you to all of the installation & community resources necessary to complete a successful transition.

The Military & Family Readiness Center is your first point of contact for all relocation-related inquiries. The Center is there to assist you with your move & in getting settled into the local area. You may reach us by calling the Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Military & Family Readiness Center at 202-284-4473

Child Care for PCS

The Air Force Aid Society's Child Care for PCS program can provide Moms & Dads the opportunity to have their children cared for while taking care of the myriad details involved in a PCS move-packing, out-processing, in-processing, attending briefings, local house hunting, etc. Up to 20 hours (per child) of childcare in an on-base, licensed family child care home may be available. Families may use the 20 hours of childcare within 60 days before the family's departure from a base and 60 days after arriving at the new base. This service is open to all Air Force ranks on a space available basis.