Can you have pets in On-Post Housing?

Short Answer: This is the Army... You should know better! There are no short answers.

**Each Post is different. You should always call your current Housing Office for the most up to date information.**

Generally, you can have cats and dogs. You shouldn't have an exorbitant amount, no more than three cats or two dogs. Ferrets are usually banned, but Hamsters and Gerbils seem to be alright.

There are breed restrictions for dogs, I am sad to say. The good news is you can get around this. Just have your dog pass a Canine Good Citizen test with the AKC. It is a very simple test, but requires your dog to be well trained, which they should be any ways.

This is from the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program website (http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm):

"AKC’s Canine Good Citizen® (CGC) Program
Training/Testing: CGC Test Items

Before taking the Canine Good Citizen test, owners will sign the Responsible Dog Owners Pledge. We believe that responsible dog ownership is a key part of the CGC concept and by signing the pledge, owners agree to take care of their dog's health needs, safety, exercise, training and quality of life. Owners also agree to show responsibility by doing things such as cleaning up after their dogs in public places and never letting dogs infringe on the rights of others.

After signing the Responsible Dog Owners Pledge, owners and their dogs are ready to take the CGC

Test. Items on the Canine Good Citizen Test include:

Test 1: Accepting a friendly stranger
Test 2: Sitting politely for petting
Test 3: Appearance and grooming
Test 4: Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
Test 5: Walking through a crowd
Test 6: Sit and down on command and Staying in place
Test 7: Coming when called.
Test 8: Reaction to another dog
Test 9: Reaction to distraction
Test 10: Supervised separation"

Just find an evaluator for your area (http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/cgc_bystate.cfm) and take the test! We own a beautiful Rottweiler who is the sweetest dog you will ever come across.

My SoBe! He looks like he is laughing!

PCS and Money

PCS – Permanent Change of Station – or moving. Relocating. Completely uprooting your entire family and trucking across the country. It is one of the things that are certain in the Military life; Death, Taxes, and PCS’ing.

Let’s talk money. Moving is expensive. No one is disputing that, but the Military has a few extra allowances to assist in the cost of moving.

DLA (DisLocation Allowance): The purpose of DLA is to partially reimburse a member, with or without dependents, for the expenses incurred in relocating the member's household on a PCS, housing moves ordered for the Government's convenience, or incident to an evacuation. This allowance is in addition to all other allowances authorized in this Joint Federal Travel Regulations (JFTR) and may be paid in advance. (http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/dla.html) I highly recommend taking this in advance to help ease the cost of moving. This allowance amount changes every year. Always look up on the DOD Travel website for the current rate.

POC (Privately Owned Conveyance) Mileage Rate: Since you have to drive your car(s) to your new duty station, the Military will pay a Mileage Rate. As of January 1, 2010 the rate is 0.165/Mile/per vehicle. (http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/faqpovpast.html)

TLE (Temporary Lodging Expense): If you have not found a house when you are due to report at your new Duty Station, you will live in the on Post lodging for a few days until you find a place. To help cover this cost there is TLE. TLE is very complicated, so make sure your Soldier/Airman/Seaman clears everything with S-1 first.

For more FAQs go to http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/faq.html

What do you do about TriCare when you move?

(The credit for the idea for this post goes to one of my very good friends, who asked for this advice)

So, you're PCS'ing (that's Army talk for moving). On top of deciding how you are going to move, finding a house, taking care of the previous house, enrolling your kids in new schools, you have to transfer their TriCare too... Because if it was easy to do, then it wouldn't be the Army.

My experiences have varied COMPLETELY from the two moves we did last year.

1. Fort Stewart- Fort Jackson: (If your husband is still on 10+ days of leave when you arrive at the new Duty Station, this is what you should do.) I was about 8 weeks pregnant by the time we got there. I had to get in the system to see an OB. What we did is we went physically to the Hospital on Post and told them we needed to sign in. Since my husband was still on leave and would not in-process for another month, we had to do this ourselves. It didn't take too terribly long, but still rather annoying.

2. Fort Jackson - Chicago (Recruiting): This was easy. We simply called TriCare and the hubby took care of everything during in-processing.

I would recommend calling TriCare and asking them what you should do. http://www.tricare.mil/contactus/

Every Post is different. Good Luck!!

IF YOU ARE STANDARD: I HIGHLY recommend personally hand walking your Medical Records to your new Doctors. Don't trust any one to do anything for you that you can do yourself.

PCS'ing... A daunting task!

So here is what I have learned from my recent PCS'ing experiences...

A door to door move is easiest. I recommend going a few weeks before your PCS date to locate a house. When your stuff is in storage is when theft and breaking tends to happen the most. The Army does give him 10 days free leave once you get to your new duty station to look for a house, but I prefer to have him home to hang all my decor and help with painting. Take advantage of any time that can be spent together, it will really help your marriage during deployments to have already had that quality time.

1. I recommend the Army moving you because it is so much easier than doing it yourself. They pack, load, and unload for you and you get to relax while they do all the work. Also the company is responsible if any thing breaks. Do-it-yourself moves you have potential to earn money, but it isn't enough to entice me to move our 9,000lbs of stuff ourselves.

2. Your Soldier will set up the dates the movers will come to your house through the Travel Office at his current post. Once he has orders that state a PCS move he will walk them over and go from there. My husband and I discussed what dates we wanted to pack, move, etc. before he went so he knew what dates to request.

3. Inventory everything and make them attach it to their packing list. For example the movers broke a pair of Gucci Sunglasses that they won't pay for because it wasn't listed on the inventory. I am making them inventory all of my purses, sunglasses, antiques, and furs in addition to our electronics. TAKE PHOTOS. We have an Italian Marble coffee table that does have a nick that I have thoroughly documented.

4. They will not pack and move:
- Candles
- Any liquids
- Any aerosol cans
- Perishables
- Any food what so ever
- Jewelry

5. Feed your movers! I am a bossy person. I also demand everything be done to my standards. So I make up for it by feeding them a decent meal. It can be pizza, sandwiches, or something easy like that. Remember to ask for food allergies. And have Soda and non-Soda drinks for them as well as deserts.

6. Clear out an obvious corner for what you are taking with you. Write in BIG BOLD letters: DO NOT PACK. Make sure wherever you hang out while they pack it is in your eye sight. The packers have been known to pack garbage. Be prepared.
What I recommend to bring:
- A skillet and pot with lids (You will have your food already with you)
- Your bathroom supplies (Including a shower curtain/rod for your next place)
- Textiles (bedsheets, towels, etc. etc.)
- Enough clothes to last two weeks, including a nice outfit to go out in when you get to your new duty station ahead of your things. Remember he isn't deployed. Enjoy every minute and get the most out of your down time.

7. Make them put EVERYTHING in boxes. The larger items can be mirror wrapped. Your couches and other furniture should be padded and shrink wrapped. Make them do that. Make them put ALL Screws in separate baggies and TAPE THEM to the piece of furniture.

8. Bring something for you to do while the workers work.

9. Unloading at your new home! What worked for my husband and I: He checked off boxes and items as they came off the truck and I stood/sat at then entrance (I was 7 weeks pregnant our last PCS) and pointed where I wanted everything. I also put post-it notes on each room labeling it; i.e. "Master Bed" "Guest Bed" "Office".

10. I do not recommend taking the TLE allowance up front. If you can afford to do so you should wait and get money at the end of the PCS. Most of the people who take the money up front seem to owe the Army back at the end of the move. You have to account for every penny used of the TLE. The DLA is yours no matter what. Take the DLA (I explain these more in depth in a different post).

11. Save all receipts for everything, hotels, gas, toilet paper, all food (including the twix bar at the gas station) to be reimbursed. My husband and I have the attitude that we take every single receipt for every little thing and have the Travel office tell us what we can and can't ask for. We were pleasantly surprised last PCS and have enough left over to buy me a Nikon DSLR.

Pregnancy and PCSing is Super Fun

This past March Dennis and I had some wonderful news: Not only were we finally PCSing to Fort Jackson the Career Course (something that we had planned on doing two years ago before the 2nd tour in Iraq) we also found out that I was expecting our first child! So exciting for my husband and I!

Two weeks after the positive blood test (I never fully trust at home pregnancy tests) we PCS'd to Fort Jackson. I also discovered that I am most definitely one of those women who suffers from morning sickness. Though the move as smoothly as a move can go (With our apartment complex giving us the much smaller floorplan than I requested, bait and switch anyone?, half our things not in boxes because I was too busy being sick to supervise properly, and our dresser being dropped from the truck onto the pavement) finding an OBGYN in Columbia, South Carolina has been far more difficult that I could have ever imagined.

As of August 21, 2009 I am 26 weeks along in my pregnancy and on my 3rd OB... and still not happy; but they will do for now because at the end of October, when I will be 36 weeks, we will be PCSing again to Chicago, Illinois. (Don't worry, I already have a Physician and a Hospital set up for the rest of my pregnancy and delivery in Chicago.)

The first Doctor's Office, I never met the Doctor. I went in for my first appointment to get all the major blood draws and tests done. I, of course, informed the nurse several times about my latex allergy and she still used latex gloves while doing my blood draw. Oh, and her inch long fingernail broke the end of the glove as well. The next Doctor's Office I never met the Doctor again; instead seeing a Physicians Assistant. The Office was poorly run and unorganized... so after they gave me difficulty about scheduling my 20 week ultrasound at a time my husband can come; I changed yet again. Third time is not the charm, though I am finally seeing a Physician. His Office Manager and staff are completely incompetent when it comes to Tricare Standard, but Tricare is wonderful when handling false claims and fixing everything for you. FYI: Don't ever let a Physician's Office tell you they cannot get you your medical records. They are required by Federal Law to give them to you.

Yes, I am a difficult patient. I expect professional and polite behavior from everyone... I expect my allergies and conditions to be taken into consideration at every step of my pregnancy. But, I have yet to find that in Columbia. Hopefully Chicago will be different! Great thing about the Army, if you don't like a place, don't worry. You will be somewhere else soon!

Oh, and We are having a BOY!!!