If your last PCS was in 2024 or early 2025, the process you remember isn't quite the one you'll get this time. The contract meant to modernize military moves has ended. A new agency now oversees household goods shipments. And the Army is actively working to move soldiers less often.
None of that changes the core job: getting your family and your belongings to the next duty station on time and intact. This guide walks through how an Army PCS move works right now, from the day your orders publish to the day your travel voucher settles. It also covers what's already on the calendar for 2027.
What's Different About an Army PCS Move in 2026
The biggest change is actually a return to something familiar.
In 2021, TRANSCOM awarded the Global Household Goods Contract (GHC) to HomeSafe Alliance, a single contractor meant to manage military moves. Problems grew as the rollout expanded. In late 2024, families began reporting significant delays, missed pickups, and damaged items, and TRANSCOM rerouted some shipments back through the legacy system. The Army acted early. On February 28, 2025, an Army Personal Property Lead Element memo told transportation offices to pull back some Army shipments from the new system. Then, on June 18, 2025, HomeSafe received notice from TRANSCOM terminating the contract.
Since then, military moves have reverted to the traditional system run through Personal Property Offices on installations, with claims handled through the Defense Personal Property System (DPS).
Two other changes matter for soldiers moving this year:
- A new oversight agency. In January 2026, DOD announced a permanent Personal Property Activity to take over responsibility for household goods moves. It became operational in May 2026 at Scott Air Force Base, reporting directly to the Secretary of Defense.
- PPM reimbursement is back to normal. Personally Procured Move reimbursement has returned to 100% of the government-constructed cost, after a temporary increase to 130% during the summer 2025 contractor problems.
The Army PCS Move Process, Step by Step
The sequence below holds for most CONUS moves. OCONUS orders add steps, such as separate unaccompanied baggage shipments and overseas allowances, so check with your transportation office if you're heading overseas.
1. Complete Your Levy Brief and Find Your Orders in IPPS-A
Army PCS orders live in IPPS-A. Once they publish, you'll find them under the "My Orders" tile, which requires a government network connection or a properly configured personal device. If your orders aren't showing up, the most common reason is an incomplete levy packet, which has to be submitted before orders can be generated.
Don't wait for orders to start sorting and purging, though. Every pound you shed now is a pound you don't have to count against your weight allowance later.
2. Complete Transportation Counseling
Before you can schedule a household goods shipment, you have to complete transportation counseling. Your installation transportation office (PPSO) handles this and schedules your move through DPS. Contact the office as soon as orders drop, because being earlier in the queue can mean better pack and pickup dates. That matters most in summer, when peak season from May through September is the most constrained.
3. Choose How Your Household Goods Will Move
You have three options:
- Government-arranged shipment: The transportation office coordinates your move with a moving company it assigns, so you don't choose the mover yourself.
- Full PPM: You move your own belongings and are reimbursed based on what the move would have cost the government.
- Partial PPM: You move some items yourself and let the government handle the rest.
Your weight allowance depends on your grade and dependency status and is listed in the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). Confirm your exact number during counseling, since going over it comes out of your pocket.
4. Prepare for Pack-Out and Pickup
Before the crew arrives, set aside anything that shouldn't go on the truck. That includes orders, IDs, medical and school records, valuables, and whatever you'll need during the gap between homes. Review the list of prohibited items as well. Keep a detailed inventory and photograph high-value items before they're packed.
5. Inspect Delivery and File Claims Promptly
Note any damage on the delivery paperwork before the movers leave, and photograph every affected item. Unpacking takes weeks, but the claims clock doesn't wait. Damage claims are filed through DPS within 75 days of delivery.
6. Settle Your Travel Voucher
Keep every receipt from the move, including lodging, fuel, and PPM expenses, and submit your voucher through finance once you've arrived. If you need cash before your entitlements pay out, you may be able to request an advance. Talk to your finance office early, ideally before orders are final.
How an Army DITY Move Works Now
Many soldiers still call it a DITY move, but the official term is PPM, or Personally Procured Move. The mechanics are straightforward. You receive a payment based on the government's estimated cost, use it to cover truck rental, fuel, packing supplies, and hired labor, and keep whatever is left.
Whether a PPM pays off depends on the move. Longer moves, higher pay grades, and larger weight allowances tend to favor PPM financially.
A PPM doesn't have to mean doing all the heavy lifting yourself. Hired labor is a legitimate PPM expense, and Stewart's crews are cleared to get on base. That means you can rent the truck, trailer, or container and let a trained crew handle the packing and loading.
What Army Families Can Expect in 2027
Fiscal year 2027 begins October 1, 2026, and several changes already announced will shape the year ahead:
- Fewer Army moves. The Army cut more than 12,000 relocations in fiscal 2026 and plans to cut more than 13,600 in fiscal 2027.
- More ways to stay put. The High School Stabilization program benefited about 4,000 soldiers in the past year, and the Stabilization Retention Option let about 6,200 soldiers stay at their duty station in fiscal 2025. The Army is also expanding distance learning and TDY-and-return options for courses like the Captains Career Course, so soldiers can attend without relocating.
- Tighter budgets DOD-wide. The services must cut discretionary PCS budgets by 10% in fiscal 2027, rising to 50% by fiscal 2030. The cuts target budgets rather than a set number of moves.
- New oversight gets funded. Funding for the Defense Personal Property Program shifts to the Personal Property Activity beginning in fiscal 2027, with the agency expected to reach initial operational capability within a year.
- A DPS replacement, eventually. A replacement for DPS is in development, but there's no confirmed timeline.
For soldiers, the practical takeaway is simple. A stabilization option may let you stay where you are, so ask about it before assuming a move. If orders do come, the peak-season rules still apply: book early and document everything.
Planning Your Next Army PCS Move
Stewart Moving & Storage started as a military mover, and our warehouses sit near major installations for that reason. We offer DOD-approved storage, including long-term storage, and crews who can get on base for PPM packing and loading. If you have questions about your upcoming move, you can reach us at 888.566.9737.
