Do I Have to Pay for My Baggage on the Airlines when PCS'ing????

I have received numerous questions asking if military dependents are required to pay for baggage (excess accompanied baggage) when traveling on PCS orders. The answer is, it is at the discretion of the airline.

According to the DOD site:

Q6. If I am a member under a PCS order, does the exception also apply to my dependents traveling under my PCS travel order?
A6. Although your dependents traveling under your PCS travel order are official (i.e., Government) travelers, most airlines do not consider them to be ‘members’, and airline procedures vary. Please consult with your CTO/TMC for your specific flight requirements.

So you ask how do you find out if you will have to pay for excess baggage on your next PCS flight?

On my last PCS here to Hawaii we flew Delta airlines. Before we left I called Delta and was informed that as long as our names and the wording authorized dependents appeared on the PCS orders that we would not be charged for excess baggage. Of course being me hearing it from a representative was not enough and I needed more confirmation. I was then told that Delta has a Military Desk which you can reach by calling Delta and asking to be transferred. I was able to verify the below policy through them. I also printed the policy out in a case the representative at the airport was not aware. The policy listed below goes for each individual dependent listed on the orders.


*Active duty U.S. military personnel traveling on orders to or from duty stations are allowed up to three checked bags in Economy Class and up to four checked bags in First and Business Class on Delta and Delta Connection® carriers at no charge. Each bag may weigh up to 70 lbs. (32 kg) and measure up to 80 linear inches (203 cm).

American Airlines specifies their military dependent excess baggage policy here.

Now for the sake of me writing a long rambling blog post I will spare you and sum this up by saying:
At the end of the day your best bet is to call the airline and find out policy for dependent authorized travel. To find other airline baggage policies google *the airline* + military baggage.

Below are important links that you will want to keep in your bookmarks that will explain reimbursement should you get charged and more:

Official DOD Excess Baggage Policy

More from the DOD on Excess Baggage Policy

Best of Luck!

Ask Army Wife 101: When Housing Onpost Isn't Available?

Brittani


This question relates to: Housing

Q. I wanted to know what happens if we move to our new duty station and no housing on post is available , what do we do?

A. Brittani once again thank you for writing Army Wife 101 again!

This is a really great question and part of it I wrote about a few weeks ago. I always tell spouses to always plan as if you might NOT get housing onpost. When my husband and I PCS'ed to Georgia I was already looking for homes off post this way , if we were not able to get housing right away(which we didn't) we would already have an idea of where we wanted to live. You will want to make sure you visit housing first  and if you choose so put your name on the waiting list anyway . They will inform you when your # comes up on the list. They too can guide you to particular areas to live offpost.

The Dept of Defense has a really great tool called the Army Housing Referral Network which I did a video on a few weeks back. Simply put the AHRN site helps Army families to find housing near their post which fits into there BAH range and offers a military clause in the lease. Their are also some other great features which you can search by.

When you and your spouse arrive at his new duty station he should be allowed 10 days of permissive leave which most soldiers use for the sole purpose of house or apartment hunting. This will be your time to actually go and do some actual searching but, you can make better use of this time if  you already have your sites narrowed down.

Best of Luck!

Ask Army Wife 101: Can I Go With Him To AIT& Onpost Daycare

Brittani

This question relates to: Bootcamp/AIT

Q. What is your Question? I  wanted to know after my spouse graduates AIT am I able to go with him? I also wanted to know if the army has a daycare? If so how much?

A.Hi Brittani,

Thanks for writing Army Wife 101!

If your spouses AIT is 20 weeks long or more, then your eligible to be moved by the Army. Your husband will need to file all the paperwork and see if the exception can be made for the orders to be approved for you to live there during his schooling. The command does not have to approve it so even with his AIT schooling being 20 weeks or over their is no guarantee that you will definitely get to move with him.

Keep in mind when they are in AIT they are still in training and will most likely be on a pass system, so their is a chance you will not get to spend as much as time as you would like. One person screwing up can mean pass privileges being reneged for everyone.

In regards to onpost daycare, yes most Army installations offer this. The amount you will pay for your child to attend onpost daycare usually goes by rank of the soldier and income. Many Army post have waiting list for their daycare programs and alot of times the list goes by priority. This means a single soldier who has a child might get priority over a two parent household with a stay at home mom. In order to register your child for daycare you will have to contact the Child Youth & School Services (CYS) at the Army installation where you live. You can also look into FCC providers which are usually spouses onpost who go through CYS and provide in home daycare. This is another alternative to CYS as their tend to be more openings.

You can learn more about CYS at the link below:
Child Youth & School Services

Best of luck!

Ask Army Wife 101: PCS Question?

Q.
Hi I am Erika
MY husband and I were just informed where our first duty station will be. It will be at Fort Richardson, Alaska. I know its considered overseas and my question is,
WHAT DO I DO NOW?
How do I set up a move I never did this before and my husband is right now in AIT..
..then he will be going to airborne in March..so it wont be till about April that we move. Can you give my a heads up on what I going to need to do for when we move?
ERIKA

A. Hi Erika,


Thank you for writing Army Wife 101!


Moving overseas is very exciting but can also be somewhat confusing but you can make it simple by staying one step ahead.


The first step for you will be to look into getting your EFMP screenings. EFMP is the acronym for Exceptional Family Member Program. The Army needs to make sure you and any other dependents in your family do not have any health conditions that cannot be treated where you will be moving to. You will need to call your local base and speak to someone in the EFMP office and they will be able to give you detailed information on this. Your husband might need to fill out a specific form first before they can began any paperwork so be prepared to be told that as well. Once you have had your medical screening the paperwork will sent from your local EFMP office to the EFMP office in Ft Richardson where it will be reviewed for approval. Approval wait time can take a few weeks or longer.


This approval is very important because in order to PCS on the Army's dime you need to be command sponsored. This is the process you will need to go through to be listed on your spouse's orders. If for some reason he is issued orders before your command sponsorship is approved then he usually can have his orders amended to include you and any other dependents.


As far as setting up the actual move , none of this can be done until orders are actually issued. It is at this point your husband will visit the transportation office and set up for pickup for your HouseHold Goods.


Their are things you can do early to make the PCS less of a hassle such as:


* Sorting through house hold items and getting rid of items you do not want to bring with you (There is a weight limit on household goods).


* Making sure all important documents are stored together in a file ( you will come to learn to carry this with you in the military ...They always seem to need a copy of something.)


* If you are renting a house or an apartment make sure to notify your landlords that you will be moving if you have to break your lease. In most cases you should be protected under the military clause but if you don't have one it will make it easier to prepare financially should you incur any early termination of lease fees.


*Lastly prepare financially in general. The Army does a good job of helping you out financially with PCS moves. You should receive DLA ( Dislocation Allowance) which is for the setup of your new home and TLE/TLA which is lodging and food allowances while you are waiting for housing. you also should receive COLA (Cost of Living Allowance). Other items you should set aside funds for are rental car expenses and ultimately deposit money in the event onpost housing is not available right away. It can take alittle longer then expected sometimes for BAH to switch over to the correct amount for your zipcode so being prepared is essential.


Before your hubby leaves AIT he will go through a series of briefings prepping him for your move overseas and alot of the paperwork will be on him to handle. It is important to pass on information to him so that he can stay on top of the PCS move as well.


I hope I have given you a general understanding of what to expect. Feel free to email me again.


Best of Luck on your move!


Hooah & Smooches

Ask Army Wife 101: Housing Question

Hi MsCorp,

Q. My fiancee is stationed at schofield Barracks,hawaii after NTC we will be getting married I want to be moved in before he leaves for deployment in August. We have four kids,how long do you think it'll take for us to be able to move down there and do you think it'll be in time?

A. Thanks for writing Army Wife 101!

Their are many factors you will need to take into consideration. First if I am reading your question correctly it appears that your fiance is already here in Hawaii. This usually means that since you will have gotten married after he has already moved here that the Army will not pay for you to come here. He may be able to get his orders amended though to include you and his other dependents.He will need to look into that with his command

The next thing you will need to do is get your EFMP (Exceptional Family Member) screenings. These are medical screenings to make sure you and your children don't have any medical issues that cannot be treated over here. This is how you will be command sponsored to come here. Once the EFMP screenings are complete the paperwork will be sent to Hawaii for approval. You will need to be in the DEERS system to get this done. You can come here without command sponsorship but you will not be able to get housing onpost and essentially will be footing the bill for everything out of pocket.

I mention these things above because each of them will be major factors in how fast you move here. Your soon to be husband will need to complete alot of these task himself and unfortunately nothing can be done until you are married.

The good part is that once you do get here housing should be a piece of cake since in Hawaii you can live on any branch's installation. I also live here at Schofield Barracks and had a house within a week. With the soldiers deploying many spouses tend to go home leaving many home opened up for moving in. You also mentioned you have 4 children so chances are depending on the children's ages you will receive a nice brand new 4 bedroom home.

I hope that my answer to your question was of some help too you, and feel free to write again if you have any more questions.

Hooah & Smooches

Ask Army Wife 101: Housing Question

Q.This question relates to: Housing

What is your Question? well my husband is going to the army and my question to you is...is it for sure that myself and our kids will live on base? im nervous and thankful for your website it will be my personel bible through this journey thank you hope to hear from you soon


A. Hi Alexis,

Thank you for writing Army Wife 101!

Your question is a simple and easy one and I hope my answer will give you some insight.

Simply put you can always live onpost but that is contingent on if housing is available at the time to fit your family size. What you will want to do is as soon as your husband graduates AIT and receives his orders with you and your children listed on them, you will want to contact the housing office at your new duty station and see what the protocol is for placing your name on the housing list.

Many Army housing offices will require you to actually arrive at the duty station first and then place your name on the list, while others will allow you to fax your orders and other documentation and place your name on the list before you arrive.

In the mean time if you would like to see how Army housing at any Army post looks you can visit One Stop Army
Here you will be able to view actual pictures of housing.

Once again I hope the above information is of help to you and be sure to check out my video tutorials on Understanding Military Pay, PCS Moves Etc here at Army Wife 101.

Hooah & Smooches

Ask Army Wife 101: Coupon Question?

Name: Grandma Bee
This question relates to: Other

Q. I operate a small coupon clipping service and would like to donate my unused coupons to our military families as my "thank you" for all you sacrifice for us. Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. I have been told the Commissary and PX overseas will accept them for up to six months past their expiration date. Is this correct? Also, can they be used in the same fashion within the U.S.? Can you please provide me with information on how to donate coupons, even those expired, to our military families? An address and contact would be great. Thanks for your help.

Grandma Bee

A. Hi Grandma Bee! First let me say thank you for writing Army Wife 101 and for your kindness in wanting to help military families.

You have definitely heard correctly. Expired coupons can be used up to 6 months after their expiration date at overseas military installations. The coupons will be used in the same fashion as they would in the US. Military families will use them at their local commissary.

I have found the following places and tips where you can donate and send unused and expired coupons:

The below tips are from :About.com Expired Coupons For Military
- Tips -

* Cut and trim the sides of the coupons. This is not only helpful to the receiving centers, but you do not want to pay postage on dead weight.
* Separate the coupons into two major categories - Food (for humans) and Non-Food (pet food would be non-food). Place them in large sealed freezer bags and label.
* Attach a dollar total of the coupons onto the bag.
* Prior to sending your coupons, you may want to touch base with whom you are sending them to, to make certain that they do not have any other preferences for you to follow.

To send your coupons to a Military Coupon Co-op please visit the following sites:
Overseas Coupon Program
OCP will help you to forward your coupons to Military installations overseas.

Coupons To Troops

Thank you again for you kindness I think I can speak for all military families when I say Thank You!!!

Hooah & Smooches

Ask Army Wife 101: BootCamp/AIT Question

Q.So, here goes, I hope I can get this out right...
My soldier has 3 weeks of boot camp left. I am going to his boot camp graduation in SC. Then he ships right to his AIT in AL. I will be moving at my own expense there, one week after he is set to get there. I have an apartment already, etc. I can swing it on my own.
We wish to be married right away and get me on his orders. He is only at phase 1 of AIT for 10 weeks, then he moves from Huntsville, AL to Pensacola, FL to phase 2. I wish to move with him, but at that point I will need spouse/dependent assistance for the second move.
How long does it take for me to be successfully added to his orders and receive the help a spouse gets? Also, do we need to be married BEFORE he gets to his AIT destination for phase 1 in order for me to get the spouse assistance at all through AIT?
Do we need to quick get married at graduation, or right before he leaves his boot camp station? He is in Ft. Jackson, SC, they only have a 1 day waiting period in between the license and ceremony, we are not religious and don't care about anything fancy at this time. If we can make it work, we will do it there.
We just want me to be near him, and get help, and be on his orders, and stick with him.
I believe that we need to turn in the marriage certificate and fill out some other papers, but I cannot find specifically from the Army what we need to fill out, where, who to give it to, and how long it will take, etc. I want to know now so I can prepare, then write him and prepare him, and make sure it goes off without a hitch.
I appreciate any help you can give me. This is scary! I am NOT scared to marry the love of my life, he is my soul mate, I have no doubt. He enlisted before he met me unfortunately, and now we just have to roll with it.
Thank you very much.


A. Hi Sara and thanks for writing Army Wife 101!

I will admit you have alot that needs to be answered so I will do my best to answer and hopefully some of my wonderful followers can jump in and offer you some more advice.

Let's start in order:

I would like to give you an opinion in regards to you moving to where his AIT duty station is. It is important for you to know that while he is in AIT he is still considered in training and will likely not be able to see you 90% of the time. When in AIT they go through certain Phases and a Pass System. For instance in the beginning he might be able to go to the commi or px...phase 2 might allow the soldiers to leave post but only for a few hours and of course phase 3 would let them put in for a pass to leave post overnight. One soldier's mess up can mean weekend passes being reneged for everyone. I just wanted you to know that, so you don't move down there with hopes of seeing your significant other daily.

As far as moving with him to the second part of AIT, his AIT will need to be 20 weeks or over for a SPOUSE to go with him. For a spouse to go to AIT with her husband the command at his training duty station would have to approve that. In your case you would have to be MARRIED and until you are MARRIED you are not eligible for any type of financial incentives the Army would normally provide a service member with dependents.

Honestly (and this is just my opinion) as I stated above you most likely will hardly see your soldier, so I would not rush to hurry and get married since he is already set to go to AIT , I don't see his orders being amended for you to go with him. If you wish to get married by all means do so but always be prepared for whatever the Army throws your way and definitely be prepared to possibly not be near him. You can tell your spouse that he can check into getting his orders amended but that nothing is guaranteed.

Once you do get married , he can take the marriage license and social security cards to the Deers Office and have you placed on Page Two. This will get you entered into the system to receive Medical Benefits and basically shows the Army you exist. Your spouse could then take you to get your military ID which would enable you to use the commissary ,PX and go to the Dr.

My advice would be to wait for him finish to AIT since he won't have much time to do anything outside of training. Once he graduates AIT he will report to his first duty station where he will have alittle more freedom and time to take care of the necessary paperwork and make arrangements to enable your family to be together.

Marrying into the military is definitely exciting and scary at the time, but with proper planning and researching you will be absolutely fine.

I hope I have given you some better insight on what he will need to do and if you need anymore information feel free to email me at Krystel@armywife101.com

Ask Army Wife 101: BootCamp/AIT Question

Q. My husband is in basic right but he will be heading to Fort Lee VA for his AIT and I was wondering if he will be able to leave base on the weekends or if I would be able to visit him on the base??? My husband want me to move there if I can see him so thats why I am trying to find out.... Please Help?

First thank you for writing Ask Army Wife 101 and it is my pleasure to answer your question. If any readers have more information to add please post a comment.

When soldiers are in AIT they are still in training and they are usually on a pass system. This means that for the first few weeks of schooling soldiers might only be able to visit the PX and Commissary , later on they may be able to leave post but not overnight and eventually in the final phases they may (or may not) be able to have over night privileges to stay offpost. Based on my husband's own accounts and other soldiers we have spoke to... one soldier in the platoon's mess up can cause privileges to be reneged therefore spoiling a spouse's planned weekend trip to visit her soldier at AIT.

As far as living with your husband...spouses may live with their service member during AIT if the training is over 20 weeks if approved by the command at your spouse AIT school. Let me make clear that you can choose to move near your husband if his schooling is under 20 weeks but it will be at your own expense and because he is still in training I would not count on spending quality time with him. To get approval for you to be placed on the orders and move with him at the Army's expense he will have to file all the paperwork and get the command's approval.

I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck!

You can read about other spouses who have dealt with the same situation by clicking below:
Living With Spouse During AIT

Military Pay & BAH Question?

I recieved this question via email and decided to answer on here, as I am sure many others could use this information:

Q. Does BAH always come on the first check or the second check of the month? and is there a partial bah if you live on base as well? and if you do live on base do you still get the cola? I am sorry my recruiter doesnt know much lol and this army financial stuff seems pretty difficult to understand...I am watching your videos on your website very very helpful!!:)

A. BAH is split amongst the 2 check that you receive on the 1st & 15th of each month.
Partial BAH depends on where you are stationed at. In some case partial BAH can be given as an incentive. For instance here at Schofield we have some extremely old housing that most people would not want to live in, so housing has decided to reimburse occupants of those houses up to 15% of their BAH back for living in those quarters.

The way it works 99% of the time is that if you live onpost the BAH will show up on your LES but will be taken right back out by housing. In essence you never see the money.

In regards to COLA yes if you live overseas or in a area where the cost of living is exceptionally high you will receive COLA no matter if you live onpost or off.
You can learn more about COLA here.

I hope my answers to your questions will be of assistance to you and feel free to email again if you need more information.

Ask Army Wife 101

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