Basic tips Airmen can use for their move

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jaeda Tookes
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Moving is normal routine for military personnel and their families.

"We handle everyone who leaves the base, and those who come in," said Senior Airman Luis Guzman, 341st Force Support Squadron career development journeyman.

According to Guzman, a lot of people think the permanent change of station season is during the summer, but it is not the case.

"The peak season for PCSs is from Memorial Day through August, and can sometimes be extended," Deandrea Singleton, 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron chief of personal property and passenger travel.

According to Guzman, the base gets about 75 assignments, when the overseas listing comes out.  

"It gets pretty busy during that timeframe," he said.

According to Staff Sgt. Anais Lopez Quinones, 341st Force Support Squadron career development supervisor, once a military member is selected for an assignment they are notified through the virtual military personnel flight.

"We send an email to the member with the assignment (routing information protocol), and a checklist of the required items needed for the orders," Lopez Quinones said.

Required items include a dental, medical and security clearance letter.

"If the member is going overseas, they sometimes will have a personnel processing code," Lopez Quinones said. "If a PPC is involved, then we include those required documents for the member as well."

When a member receives a notification of a pending assignment, they must have retainability to get orders to that particular assignment. 

Retainability is the amount of time a military member has left on their enlistment.

"If the member does not have retainability for the location they have an assignment to they must extend or re-enlist," Lopez Quinones said.

For stateside assignments 24 months of retainability is a requirement, and it depends on date of separation. For overseas it depends on DOS, but if the member is going unaccompanied it is 24 months, accompanied is 36 months and extended-long is 48 months.

The member only needs 12 months retainability for short tours like Turkey or Korea.

"A member has 30 days from an assignment notification to obtain assignment retainability," Lopez Quinones said. 

If the member does not meet the 30 days, there is a chance the assignment may get cancelled.

"When it comes to an assignment each person requires different things," Guzman said. "It is my job to make sure each one of those members and assignments that come across my desk are taken care of," Guzman said.

For any questions, contact the 341st Force Support Squadron assignments section at 731-2481, or stop by their office located in Building 1191.