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

Relocation Readiness Program Overview

The Relocation Readiness Program provides personal relocation counseling, general installation information, digital welcome packets, pre-move destination information, orientation briefings, spouse sponsorship training and the temporary loan of basic household items. Note: bed linens, pillows, towels, blankets and equipment for babies and children are not provided, so plan to pack them or ship them to save expenses. Small electrical appliances like toasters, irons and coffee pots are also available, but larger appliances like microwave ovens and televisions are not available for loan. The RRP manager can be contacted by calling 011-39-0444-71-5843, DSN 314-646-5843.

Language classes – “English as a Second Language” classes are for spouses and DOD civilian employees whose native language is not English and “Italian Language Classes” are for spouses and DOD civilian employees with an interest in learning basic conversational Italian. Both are held twice a week at Army Community Service in the DSFRC and are free. Enrollment requests can be accepted starting from 30 calendar days prior to the start date of the class. 

Cultural adaptation – “Benvenuti” is a three-day Newcomers’ orientation for spouses of Active duty and Department of Defense Civilians to introduce them to Vicenza and the surrounding area. The program includes a tour of beautiful downtown Vicenza, the magnificent cities of Verona or Padova, a tour of the local hospital, assistance in riding city buses and trains and a sampling of Italian foods, language and culture. Child care is not provided. “Multicultural Community Forum” is a one-day session that celebrates our community's diverse and rich cultures with a cooking lab and live presentation of different countries from all over the world. 

Host Nation Orientation is a one-day cultural adaptation class for Soldiers. This class also includes a tour of downtown Vicenza, language and cultural background, assistance in riding the city buses and lunch at an Italian restaurant.

Lending Closet – Our Lending Closet in DSFRC carries essential kitchenware and small electrical appliances items for use by relocating families. See Loan Closet topic for procedures.