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.

Army Community Service (ACS), which is located in the Stilwell Community Center, Building 4260, on Ord Military Community (OMC), offers a full range of relocation assistance services, including a complete Loan Closet. A Newcomers Briefing is held for Service Members, Family Members and Department of the Army Civilians every Tuesday at Tin Barn starting at 0740.  You can contact the ACS Relocation manager at 831-242-6890 or DSN 768-6890.

Installation-specific Information

ACS is located on the OMC in the General Stilwell Community Center, Building 4260, on the corner of General Moore and Gigling roads. All new families should in-process with ACS as soon as they arrive. Welcome Packets, which contains information about the installation and agencies and services and commonly used phone numbers, are available for everyone. ACS also maintains a Loan Closet with pots and pans, folding chairs and tables, dishes and various electrical kitchen appliances. There are, however, no linens available.

Soldiers who have just finished their basic combat training, and who are reporting to the Defense Language Institute as their first long-term duty assignment, need to be aware that they are still in the initial entry training process. They will go into Phase IV of their IET. This means that, for their first four weeks here at the Presidio, they will be restricted to post, living in the barracks and not allowed to wear civilian clothes or operate a privately owned vehicle, during that time. This can significantly complicate settling a family into government-provided quarters. Married soldiers who are coming to the Presidio directly from basic training are strongly encouraged to arrange for the movement of their family members here after, rather than during or before, their first four weeks here at DLI.

Everyone coming to the Presidio with families should be aware that the wait for military family housing can be up to 90 days, and that civilian housing in the Monterey environs is expensive and scarce. The best decision is to postpone moving families to this area until housing for them has been secured.

For information about the Monterey Peninsula, contact the Monterey Chamber of Commerce, 380 Alvarado St., Monterey, CA 93940.