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.

Installation-Specific Information

When the service member in your family receives relocation orders, your whole family may need to adjust to leaving friends and relatives behind, career challenges, and new places and cultures. Begin the process by setting up an account on the Military OneSource website. Once there, go to PlanMyMove for dozens of tips on making your move as smooth as possible. Help make moving a positive experience by discussing the move, planning ahead and by using the tools available.

The China Lake Fleet and Family Support Center relocation assistance coordinator staff provides information regarding base activities and services, information packets on other military installations, orientations for newly arriving service members and their families, free loan of household items (Loan Closet), and much more.

The relocation coordinator is available to provide pre-move planning assistance, worldwide base and community information, and arrival and settling-in services. Relocation is a way of life for the military family. It is seldom easy, usually stressful, sometimes frightening, and always constant. The China Lake FFSC will either have the information you need or refer you to someone who has it. To make relocating as easy as possible, visit the China Lake FFSC relocation coordinator at 610 Blandy Ave., Building 2308 or call 760-939-4553.