Published Jul 24, 2026, 1:13 PM EDT

The government reimburses your PCS, but only if you know what to claim, when to claim it and where the gaps are.

Follow

Published Jul 24, 2026, 1:13 PM EDT

The Pentagon relocates approximately 400,000 service members and their families every year. The bulk of those moves happen between May and September — peak PCS season — when competition for moving contractors is highest, availability is tightest, and the margin for error in your planning is smallest. A service member who understands what the military will and will not reimburse before moving day is measurably better off than one who figures it out afterward. The difference can easily run $3,000 to $8,000.