PCS allowances

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

doctorpurple

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2010
Messages
151
Reaction score
13
I just got my PCS orders. I'm a 4th year medical student starting my residency at Walter Reed. I'm doing my research on how to set up moving home goods, traveling etc. My main question is what pay/allowances am I authorized for. I am authorized to travel with my dependent (husband) with POV. I know it would take at least 2 days to get to the destination as I'm located more 1000 miles away. I know they will reimburse me with mileage, lodging, and per diem during travel. I'm curious if I'm eligible for DLA pay. I know that reserves coming to active duty is usually not authorized, however the exemption is if my active duty assignment is more than 20 weeks (which it is) and if I'm traveling with a dependent (which I am). So does that mean I'm qualifed to get DLA pay?

Also, I have some questions with the delivery of home goods. Is it common to arrive at destination with home goods still en route. Are we allowed reimbursement for a hotel since we won't have any furniture (beds, etc.)? Also in my orders there is a statment saying "officer is eligble for appropriate MC incentive pays effective EAD (earliest arrival date)" what are MC incentive pays?

Members don't see this ad.
 
If you're strapped for cash, you can request a pay advance once you report, but I would guess most people just live off of savings until you get paid at the end of June and/or their travel voucher is reimbursed.

Are you Army? You called it Walter Reed and used Army abbreviations, so that's my guess. If so, just remember, you won't be an activated reservist. You'll be recommissioning into the regular Army, so the rules regarding the former won't apply to you.

There is some confusion about this, but I believe you will get DLA, but it's not like they hand you a check when you get there (see first paragraph).

I'm not aware of any CONUS PCSs that qualify for temporary lodging allowance (TLA, AKA a reimbursed hotel). You'll receive BAH retroactive to your report date, which are the funds you are expected to use to house yourself.

Yes, it's extremely common to arrive before your household goods. Many people do this purposefully in order accomplish what's called a "door-to-door" move, which is a way of saying that your household goods aren't put into government storage. The commercial moving company will typically hold onto your goods for a small window of time, after which they go into government storage if not delivered. People try to avoid this because it's in government storage where things tend to get broken or "lost". In fact, a few years ago at least, the D.C.-area government storage was so bad that the GME office was instructing incoming interns/residents to move heaven and earth to do a door-to-door. Typically, to accomplish this, you'll want to have a physical delivery address at the time your household goods are picked up.

I wouldn't worry too much about incentive pay right now. That's a meaningless statement that they probably throw onto all orders for MC officers. As an intern, the only special pay you'll receive is VSP at a rate of $100/month.
 
You will get DLA if you are married/dependents. You can get an advance on this if you work on it. Comes out to ~2000$ advance and ~1300$ once inprocessed
 
Members don't see this ad :)
If you're strapped for cash, you can request a pay advance once you report, but I would guess most people just live off of savings until you get paid at the end of June and/or their travel voucher is reimbursed.

Are you Army? You called it Walter Reed and used Army abbreviations, so that's my guess. If so, just remember, you won't be an activated reservist. You'll be recommissioning into the regular Army, so the rules regarding the former won't apply to you.

There is some confusion about this, but I believe you will get DLA, but it's not like they hand you a check when you get there (see first paragraph).

I'm not aware of any CONUS PCSs that qualify for temporary lodging allowance (TLA, AKA a reimbursed hotel). You'll receive BAH retroactive to your report date, which are the funds you are expected to use to house yourself.

Yes, it's extremely common to arrive before your household goods. Many people do this purposefully in order accomplish what's called a "door-to-door" move, which is a way of saying that your household goods aren't put into government storage. The commercial moving company will typically hold onto your goods for a small window of time, after which they go into government storage if not delivered. People try to avoid this because it's in government storage where things tend to get broken or "lost". In fact, a few years ago at least, the D.C.-area government storage was so bad that the GME office was instructing incoming interns/residents to move heaven and earth to do a door-to-door. Typically, to accomplish this, you'll want to have a physical delivery address at the time your household goods are picked up.

I wouldn't worry too much about incentive pay right now. That's a meaningless statement that they probably throw onto all orders for MC officers. As an intern, the only special pay you'll receive is VSP at a rate of $100/month.

She will be entitled to TLA for up to 10 days. It has to be within a certain distance from Walter Reed. She can apply once she checks into Walter Reed and goes through the finance office during the inprocessing. I just PCSed and that was something that was explained to us during our outprocessing financial brief.
 
She will be entitled to TLA for up to 10 days. It has to be within a certain distance from Walter Reed. She can apply once she checks into Walter Reed and goes through the finance office during the inprocessing. I just PCSed and that was something that was explained to us during our outprocessing financial brief.

Is that new? I definitely didn't get that for my last PCS.
 
Is that new? I definitely didn't get that for my last PCS.

I have PCSed 6 times in my nearly 10 years in the military. I only found out about it during my last and final PCS before I leave for greener pastures. I think it's just not something that they inform us during the finance briefings.

It is not automatic. You have to ask for the form when you inprocess at the new duty station. You fill it out and then turn it back in. If one doesn't ask because they don't know to ask, then they'll be none the wiser.
 
I have PCSed 6 times in my nearly 10 years in the military. I only found out about it during my last and final PCS before I leave for greener pastures. I think it's just not something that they inform us during the finance briefings.

It is not automatic. You have to ask for the form when you inprocess at the new duty station. You fill it out and then turn it back in. If one doesn't ask because they don't know to ask, then they'll be none the wiser.

That's interesting, because with my OCONUS PCSs it was widely publicised and something that everyone used. But I had never heard it for CONUS PCSs.
 
I have a couple questions about PCS travel reimbursement. It is my understanding that I am reimbursed for a total number of days which is equal to the travel distance/350 miles with an extra day thrown in if there is greater than 50 miles leftover on the last day.
Based on the 350 miles/day I have calculated that I should be reimbursed for 3 days of travel. Is it okay for me to drive to the city of my destination over the first two days and then spend the third day in the city I am PCSing to in a hotel and still get reimbursed? Or does the third day hotel have to be >50 miles from my destination?

Also in regards to TLE. Do we qualify for TLE if we have a house at the destination that is ready to be moved into, but our HHG have not arrived at the home yet? I ask because there is a significant chance that our HHG will arrive at the city before we can move into the house, and will probably be placed into storage and taken out of the storage at the movers convenience.
 
I have a couple questions about PCS travel reimbursement. It is my understanding that I am reimbursed for a total number of days which is equal to the travel distance/350 miles with an extra day thrown in if there is greater than 50 miles leftover on the last day.
Based on the 350 miles/day I have calculated that I should be reimbursed for 3 days of travel. Is it okay for me to drive to the city of my destination over the first two days and then spend the third day in the city I am PCSing to in a hotel and still get reimbursed? Or does the third day hotel have to be >50 miles from my destination?

Also in regards to TLE. Do we qualify for TLE if we have a house at the destination that is ready to be moved into, but our HHG have not arrived at the home yet? I ask because there is a significant chance that our HHG will arrive at the city before we can move into the house, and will probably be placed into storage and taken out of the storage at the movers convenience.

at least for the army, it was just a per diem. like you don't have to turn in any receipts or anything for gas or hotels, you just get a set amount each day (i kept my receipts anyway jik). noone is keeping track of you as long as you report on time. my wife and i did two really long days, and then the third day drove like 50 miles to new orleans and then just screwed around there all day eating a bunch of beignets and getting wildly drunk. then we drove the additional time to fort sam the next day. noone said anything.
 
Top