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.

Upon arrival at Naval Air Station Sigonella, you will attend an indoctrination program called Indoctrination or INDOC /Intercultural Relations. You must report to your command pay personal administrator and file your travel claim prior to attending INDOC/ICR. Your CPPA (admin) will forward your travel claim and permanent change of station orders to personal support detachment Sigonella within four days of arrival to avoid overpayment of entitlements. Be sure to submit all travel expense receipts, PCS orders and other applicable papers when you check in.

If you are arriving with children, be sure that your sponsor has informed the Child Development Center ( DSN 314-624-3736 or Comm. +39-095-56-3736) one month prior to your arrival. Child care will be paid for while you and your spouse attend the INDOC/ICR program.

You will start INDOC on Monday at 8 a.m. in the Commons Building, Compass or Chart room NAS 1. Duty uniform is the uniform of the day during INDOC and civilian attire during ICR. The duration of the training is two days of INDOC and three days of ICR. Two of the three days of ICR are area orientation tours of Catania and Motta S. Anastasia.

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society operates a thrift shop on NAS I. It is a good resource for incoming personnel. Inexpensive household goods, such as towels, blankets, seasonal clothing, infant furniture and equipment, are usually available for a reasonable price.

If you are arriving at Sigonella in early fall or winter, your express shipment should include winter clothes and blankets/comforters. Make sure to contact your Sponsor for more tips and information. Average winter temperatures vary between 40°F and 55°F. Temperatures can drop into the high 20s on rare occasions. A waterproof windbreaker is a must. Downpours are common during the winter months, along with driving wind that will happily turn your umbrella inside out. Summer is very hot and dry, occasionally reaching 104°F. Sicily will spoil you with amazingly beautiful beaches.

Your express shipment also should include things for your comfort, while you are in housing awaiting the remainder of your household goods. Your household goods will require at least 60 days for delivery to Sicily from almost anywhere. Some shipments take 120 days to arrive. It is not common but it does happen. Plan for it by sending the next season's clothes, shoes and underclothes, sporting goods, swim wear, different toys, fans or heaters, cookware and dishes, towels, blankets, reading lamps, small electrical appliances, several months’ supply of special hair and eye care products or cosmetics, and a point of contact who will forward supplies to you.

If you are arriving with pets, ask your sponsor to have some pet food available in your housing. Most brands of pet food are available here. Another consideration: Some temporary lodgings, landlords and base housing do not allow pets. You will have to pay for the shipment of your pet. It costs much less to ship pets if they travel with you.

When you move into your new home, Housing will supply you with loaner furniture until your household shipment arrives. Housing supplies appliances such as washers, dryers and refrigerators for your use throughout your tour here, so it is not necessary to ship appliances. This statement warrants repeating: Housing supplies appliances such as washers, dryers and refrigerators for your use throughout your tour here, so it is not necessary to ship appliances.

Relocation assistance

Each new arrival will have to go through a mandatory newcomer workshop called INDOC/ICR, which spans one week. In INDOC/ICR, you will be introduced to essential commands, installation policy, community resources and other opportunities. Following the INDOC portion (two days), you are required to attend an ICR workshop (three days) for living in Italy.

Relocation operates the Loan Locker from which hospitality kits may be signed out. You can check out dinnerware, cookware, cooking utensils, a coffee maker, a toaster and other basic kitchen items.  Sponsors and service members or their spouses may sign out a hospitality kit on a first-come, first-served basis at the Fleet and Family Support Center.

FFSC does not carry linens or bedding items, so it is essential that families send these items by mail to their command or sponsor one month prior to coming. The Relocation Program is found in the FFSC offices located in Building 319 on NAS 1. Hours of operation are 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Mon- Tue , Thu- Fri. Wednesday 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.. The phone number is commercial 011-39-095-56-4291 or DSN 314-624-4291.