Moving headaches? Call the PCS Assist Team

The Permanent Change of Station Assist Team (PCS) is back in action and ready to support Coast Guard members and families facing uniquely difficult relocations. It will operate weekdays, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. central time, from April 15 to September 15.  

Members can call (844) 727-2022 or email PCSAssist@uscg.mil for assistance. For urgent situations after hours, call the main phone line for further instructions. You can find out more at the PCSAssist team website. 

Note: The team won’t manage your move. Coordinating with your administrative and transportation shops is still crucial to a successful relocation and many problems that arise can be handled at that level. The PCS Assist Team was established five years ago to step in directly for members facing challenging situations beyond their control, where there wasn’t support. 

“We’re an advocacy arm for Coast Guard moves,” said Chief Warrant Officer Jeremy Bloom, who leads the 6-person team. “In those gray areas where members didn’t have the resources before, that’s where we can step in.”  

What can the PCS Assist Team help me with? 

• Contract issues and other disputes with privately-procured movers. PCS within the Coast Guard can be done in two ways:  A household goods (HHG) move, where a government authorized transportation company is used or a personally procured move (PPM), where you find a private mover to transport your belongings. During Covid, there was a shift to more PPM when the Coast Guard began offering 100 percent reimbursement. Unfortunately, there are bad actors in this business, who have tried to hold up members’ goods for more money, or otherwise change the contract after it was signed. The PCS Assist Team can help here. 
• Adjusting moving dates.  If you’re assigned a moving date by a HHG transportation company that doesn’t work because of previously scheduled plans, PCS Assist can step in as a third-party and often get a preferable date.  
• Any other HHG/PPM or PCS-related scenarios that lack recourse. If it’s a problem you can’t resolve on your own, give the PCS Assist Team a call.  

The PCS Assist Team has been relocated to the Pay & Personnel Center (PPC), where it is now part of in an all-encompassing Travel Management Office (TMO). You can find a list of how-tos and things to watch out for when planning and executing your move here.. 

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Resources: 

• ALCOAST 115/24: Household Goods and Mandatory Customer Satisfaction Survey 
• ALCOAST 138/24: Personally Procured Moves (PPM) of Household Goods (HHG) 
• U.S. Coast Guard Personally Procured Move (PPM) Guidance 
• PPM Check-Off List 
• Defense Personal Property System (DPS) 
• Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) 
• Coast Guard Judge Advocate General 
• Coast Guard Supplement to the Joint Travel Regulations (CGS-JTR) COMDTINST M4600.17 (series)  
• “It’s your move” Armed Forces Members, Part IV, Attachment K1 
• Shipping your POV, Part IV, Attachment K3 
• Military OneSource: PCS Resources 
• FINCEN PPM Claims App 
• Coast Guard’s PPM Claims App Quick Reference Guide 

In the news:  

• PCS move gone off course? Find the right resource  
• How to move your household goods 
• Back by popular demand: the Coast Guard’s PCS Assist team