Now, those are 3 dirty letters if I ever saw any! Swiss and I are about to embark on a PCS back down to Fort X. And by Swiss and I, I mean that I am doing it and Swiss is going to have to listen to me bitch and talk me down from whatever ledges the paperwork and hoop jumping puts me on.
I thought that since I would probably be complaining, er... I mean blogging about the trials and tribulations of said PCS, why not make it a series of how to (or NOT to) PCS. It's like a learn-as-you go thing for me, and I will most certainly welcome any and all tips/nuggets of wisdom y'all have to share.
So here it goes... Part 1.
Dudes, yesterday was productive! And it felt good! I contacted the realtor I bought my house from to meet and discuss when to list it (soon! think July), what needs to be done by then, and what contingencies I may or may not want to have (ie: stay in the house until November renting from new owners, closing date in November, etc.). She is coming over to the house tonight so that will be a super productive visit. Also, my mom is coming up this week so that should give me some great projects to task her with when I am at work. My only worry other than selling the house is our need to stay in it until November as Swiss's mid-tour leave will be in October and I would hate to put him and us in a hotel for all that time or someone else's house. We just want to be home. Know what I mean?
I also contacted to PPSO (Personal Property Shipping Office) at the local (tiny) Army post. I think I might have lucked out with being close to only a small post as the folks there are a) not swamped with customers/families/or massive restructurings (read Carson, Knox, Campbell, Hood and that whole 4th ID shuffle) b) uber friendly and c) able to give you quick and thorough replies to your queries. I might be in love with our PPSO contact. She gave me all the paperwork I could possibly need within an hour of my initial e-mail inquiry. She rocks. She also let me know my time lines and that I could opt in for a 'counseling' session that would mean I could actually MEET with someone to talk over the details and any other questions I may have as we get closer to the PCS date. Awesome!
And for the most important lesson I can give any of you with any sort of PCS on the horizon. FIND AN OBVIOUS, SAFE PLACE FOR THE PCS ORDERS. Ha! I spent about two hours tearing through 30 lbs of 'current' Army paperwork (some of which dated back to 2005) to find that one precious piece of paper. Ugh. Not fun. But I did find it so Hooray for me! So, yes, just make sure all your paperwork is in order and that you KNOW where everything is. Y'all know how the Army is... I will likely have to show those PCS orders and our marriage certificate no less than 73 times before this ordeal is over. (Oh, and a friend also told me that if you can't find said PCS orders, you should start by contacting the S1, who would be a part of the HHC... or at least that is how it is in Swiss's unit.) I also finally got my BIL to commit to finishing up the kitchen. Woot!
So that is where we stand now. Next tasks? Get on housing list at Fort X, get house ready for listing, and review the scary checklists. Ready... Break!
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