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 War Department relocation tool that provides you with customizable checklists and links to helpful resources for the tasks ahead.
• Military OneSource: A website and contact center that offer 24/7 support for moving information and resources. Learn more about PCS basics. For comprehensive moving resources and information, including Defense Personal Property login 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 be 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: Sometimes 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.

Relocation Assistance

The U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern Relocation Readiness Program provides pre- and post-move counseling, welcome packets, newcomers orientation, spouse sponsorship training, language instruction, cultural adaptation and a Lending Closet. Stop by Army Community Service, Building 3210 on Kleber Kaserne, or call us at 011-49-611143-541-9000 or DSN 314-541-9000.

Language classes

English as a Second Language classes are available to all identification card holders whose native language is not English. These biweekly classes focus on pronunciation, grammar and reading skills. Conversational German classes meet weekly for a 10-week series to learn basic conversational German. Class sizes are small to ensure students are getting the most out of the lessons. Call the ACS at 011-49-611143-541-9000 or DSN 314-541-9000 to register.

Cultural adaptation

ACS offers a newcomers orientation to all DOW identification card holders regardless of branch of service to introduce them to the Kaiserslautern Military Community. Host Nation Orientation consists of a briefing about local information and culture in Germany that many service members, civilians and their families find helpful. Contact ACS to ask if a tour of downtown Kaiserslautern is offered. If it is, on that day, you will take public transportation from the meeting point to downtown, tour the scenes downtown, then have lunch at a local restaurant. Don't forget to bring enough euros for bus fares, lunch and shopping.

Lending Closet

Our Lending Closet has basic kitchenware and small kitchen appliances for relocating families to use while they are without their personal property. Contracts can be for up to 60 days. All you need to bring is a copy of your orders. For further information or questions, call 011-49-611143-541-9007 or DSN 314-541-9007.

In processing

The Relocation Readiness Program participates in briefings at the in-processing center for newly arrived personnel on a weekly basis to ensure that new arrivals are familiar with the services and programs that can assist them as they settle into the Kaiserslautern Military Community and during their stay here.

Out processing

Smooth Move is a class offered monthly through ACS for all identification card holders who would like to learn more about having a smooth permanent change of station. During this class, you will receive checklists, helpful reminders and maybe even helpful tips from other students. For more information, call ACS at 011-49-611143-541-9000 or DSN 314-541-9000.

Sponsorship

Start your move off right. Ensure that you have a sponsor assigned to you and that he or she is responsive to your needs. Your sponsor will be assigned by your gaining unit. Spouse sponsors can also be requested through the gaining unit. When it is time for you to sponsor a newcomer, go to eSponsorship on MilitaryOneSource to receive training. ACS offers Spouse Sponsorship Training for spouses who want to sponsor incoming spouses.