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 Information Referral and Relocation Program provides assistance and support to all service members and their families moving to and from Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Services include monthly Welcome Aboard workshops, permanent change of station Smooth Move workshops and individual or unit-sponsorship training classes available upon request. In accordance with Marine Corps Depot Order, the Newcomers' Brief is a mandatory session. Sections/units will schedule attendance, and spouses and dependents are encouraged to attend. Welcome Aboard packages are typically issued when sponsor-initiated and individual-direct requests are submitted.

Lending Locker is a temporary loan of basic household goods at no cost. This service is available to anyone in transition, inbound or outbound, while waiting to receive a personal property shipment or relinquishment of quarters. Lending Locker items include cookware, dinnerware, utensils, fold-up cribs, highchairs, small appliances, fans, small table set with four chairs and air mattresses.

The Relocation Assistance Office can be reached at 619-524-5298/5732 or DSN 312-524-5298/5732. For more information, please visit the MCRD San Diego and Marine Corps Community Services websites.

Installation-Specific Information

The Relocation Assistance Services – The Relocation Assistance Office assists military and eligible Department of Defense personnel and their family members with relocating, enhancing their preparation skills and making the transition from one base, or one community, to another as smoothly and trouble-free as possible. The Relocation Assistance Office is located at Personal and Professional Development in Building 14. Hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The PCS Preparation Brief – The PCS Preparation Brief offers an overall view of the PCS process and is guided by the subject matter experts and representatives from the Distribution Management Office (which includes household goods), the Orders Section of the Installation Personnel Administration Center (which handles pay and entitlements), TRICARE, Disbursing Office, Personal Finance Management and Relocation Assistance. Attend a scheduled PCS Smooth Move workshop six months prior to your detachment date. To register, please call 619-524-5298 or DSN 312-524-5298. 

Pre-departure

Relocation assistance information includes assessment of needs. Attending a PCS Preparation or Smooth Move brief is strongly encouraged. Answers to individual questions are provided, and follow-up counseling appointments are made when necessary to provide more specific information. Call 619-524-5732 for more information.

Traditional mail-out Welcome Aboard packages are available upon request, as are electronic Weighted Airman Promotion Systems in those situations where time is a factor. You may wish to ask your sponsor to verify that one has been mailed (or emailed) to you, or you may submit a personal request.

Lending Locker 

The Lending Locker program is a temporary loan of basic household goods and available only to service members, dependents and Department of Defense civilians who are on PCS orders to or from MCRD. The Relocation Assistance Office is located at Personal and Professional Development in Building 14. The Relocation Assistance office is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is closed on weekends and holidays. The check-out period for items is typically two weeks in the continental U.S. and four weeks if PCSing from outside the continental U.S. to MCRD San Diego.

Supplies are limited, so call ahead at 619-524-5298 or DSN 312-524-5298.