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Overseas PCS
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When we moved to Hawaii (I know it is not truly overseas) we set up two moves. One express shipment and one regular shipment. Your express shipment will have all your essential living items (e.g.: Pots & pans, bedding material, etc). Because you are moving to JP, you will likely put a bunch of stuff in long-term storage as well.
-ea6bflyr
-ea6bflyr
I did my boat tour there so let me know if you have any questions. It's a good gig.
helo_wifey
Well-Known Member
My husbands first fleet tour was Japan and now we're in Guam. We've never done an in CONUS move.
Just make sure you're organized. We weren't ready/organized for this last move and didn't put stuff in our express shipment that we should have.
Expect your stuff to take the maximum time to get there, be surprised when it's early. Our stuff from SD to Japan took a month, our stuff from Jax to Guam took 7 weeks.
The houses are smaller, in square footage and just dimensions. A doorway might be smaller or a stairway, so getting large furniture items in certain rooms might be difficult (unless you're in base housing which are typically Americanized).
Do you have a family that will be there with you?
Just make sure you're organized. We weren't ready/organized for this last move and didn't put stuff in our express shipment that we should have.
Expect your stuff to take the maximum time to get there, be surprised when it's early. Our stuff from SD to Japan took a month, our stuff from Jax to Guam took 7 weeks.
The houses are smaller, in square footage and just dimensions. A doorway might be smaller or a stairway, so getting large furniture items in certain rooms might be difficult (unless you're in base housing which are typically Americanized).
Do you have a family that will be there with you?
Yeah, my family will be coming with me.
Do you have any organization recommendations, or just walk around with the movers and say "express, normal, storage?"
Think hard about what you want to put in storage - if you don't think you will want it when you get back, you are better off selling it.
I would also keep a list of what you had in storage - the carbon copies were a little tough to read after 2.5 years and it was a bit of a surprise as to what came through the door when we returned to CONUS. We also found that it was easier for smaller items to get 'legs' and harder to defend that we actually had them in the claims process.
Otherwise, plan for a small place (as has already been mentioned), and take the necessities in the 'fast pack'. The rules of that should be explained to you (I don't remember any more).
I would also keep a list of what you had in storage - the carbon copies were a little tough to read after 2.5 years and it was a bit of a surprise as to what came through the door when we returned to CONUS. We also found that it was easier for smaller items to get 'legs' and harder to defend that we actually had them in the claims process.
Otherwise, plan for a small place (as has already been mentioned), and take the necessities in the 'fast pack'. The rules of that should be explained to you (I don't remember any more).
Separate the express stuff (we put it in our garage). We also chose 'rooms' that we wanted to go (i.e. living room to storage, family room to normal shipment).
helo_wifey
Well-Known Member
Yeah, we separated everything out. This last express we put things like a bicycle, air mattress, baby things, uniforms my husband would need before the HHG showed up but didn't need to fly with. We should have put more kitchen stuff but it totally slipped my mind.
Also have cash on hand for a car. When we left a beater would run you $1000-$2000 and a "good" car over that (at least at Atsugi). Plus you'll need about $1000 to register it and get the inspection if that's due soon, plus insurance. The registration and inspection are outrageous. I'd say allot $4000-5000 for everything car related to be on the safe side.
Also have cash on hand for a car. When we left a beater would run you $1000-$2000 and a "good" car over that (at least at Atsugi). Plus you'll need about $1000 to register it and get the inspection if that's due soon, plus insurance. The registration and inspection are outrageous. I'd say allot $4000-5000 for everything car related to be on the safe side.
helo_wifey
Well-Known Member
I'm also a list maker, walking around the house thinking what I would like to take. Then separate, then double check with list.
Schedule your "express" shipment early. As in 3-4 weeks before your HHG packup if able. With all the rest of your stuff, you can more easily live without those few essentials stateside, than you can sitting in Japan with nothing to your name and hoping it shows up soon. I tried to schedule it so my Express showed up the week after I did. (However if it arrives too early, it gets put into storage and takes up to a week to be pulled out and delivered)
Pretty much everything I put in long term storage before leaving for Japan I sold or gave away once I came back and realized that I had lived without it for 3 years, forgot I even owned it, and probably didn't have space for it anymore.
I would not recommend shipping a vehicle to Japan! Pick up a beater, because it will get dents, scratches, etc. If you think you are going to need new clothes in the next few years, buy them now. Same goes for any "toys", etc. Otherwise your option is to wear the same thing that every swingin sailor also bought at the NEX, try to find Japanese sizes that fit (I'm a medium here, but wore XL in J sizes and even that was tight), or order online, wait for shipping (if they will even ship to you) and hope it fits.
Pretty much everything I put in long term storage before leaving for Japan I sold or gave away once I came back and realized that I had lived without it for 3 years, forgot I even owned it, and probably didn't have space for it anymore.
I would not recommend shipping a vehicle to Japan! Pick up a beater, because it will get dents, scratches, etc. If you think you are going to need new clothes in the next few years, buy them now. Same goes for any "toys", etc. Otherwise your option is to wear the same thing that every swingin sailor also bought at the NEX, try to find Japanese sizes that fit (I'm a medium here, but wore XL in J sizes and even that was tight), or order online, wait for shipping (if they will even ship to you) and hope it fits.
Was this pre-amazon.com days? Nowadays you can order something over the Internet and receive it a week later...Same with toys.
-ea6bflyr
Definitely separate. Definitely. You'll have a bunch of guys there packing and there is no way to watch their every move so it needs to be utterly clear what they should and should not pack.
It's a pain, but we moved things so that everything in one small storage space was Express (UAB), 2 bedrooms, the living room and kitchen where regular move (HHG), and everything else was storage. Then we shut and actually taped over the doors for the rooms that each set of movers wasn't supposed to do. Out UAB was first, then HHG, then storage. We did leave a few major pieces of furniture in the "wrong" rooms but those would have been easy to notice being carried out on the wrong day.
Try to split up items so you have everything you need to get by in both your UAB and your HHG. It is not unheard of for the HHG to arrive first, so if you put every pot and pan and towel in your UAB, you'd then be screwed. Hedge your bets and make sure both have what you need to live.
Try to schedule your UAB well ahead of when you leave. It's easier to live without those things on that end, rather than this end.
Do not even consider bringing a car. EOD. Just don't. So many reasons. And cars here are cheap. A very decent car can be had for $2000 and something that will cause you no problems and last your entire tour just fine, but not look so pretty, can be found for $1000 or less. I don't recall registration being as pricey as helo wifey mentions, but a lot of that depends on how long is left on the various weird insurance things they require, as well as the size of the car (smaller car=cheaper registration). We bought our cars at a dealership and they handled some of the convoluted registration process for us, and I think we paid about $800 on each car in addition to the sticker price.
For clothes, there are so many places online that ship that make it easy, so personally, I wouldn't worry too much about that. Fit can be an issue there though, admitedly. You'll probably also fly back to the States at least once during your tour so you can always stock up then.
Opinions vary, but I say you should bring as much luggage as you can stand to haul (and don't have to pay for, though I'm told the Navy will reimburse if you exceed the airlines limits). Most airlines have generous allowances for luggage if traveling on orders. I think we were on Delta and the AD member was allowed 3 70 pound bags and I was allowed 70 pound bags, both of which are more than the normal person gets without being charged. We brought all 5. Not being familiar with weather (and maybe arriving during a seasonal change and therefore needing items to cover different conditions), not knowing what squadron events might be held before the rest of our stuff arrived, etc., having to have a zillion uniform items just in case Husband needed them before stuff arrive, etc., were all reasons to just bring as much as possible.
On that note, keep in mind you will almost certainly be living in a hotel room for at least a couple weeks. So luggage isn't just for clothes. Bring toys for the kids (you have kids, I think?) and things that will make that suck a little less for you. For example, we packed out wireless router since the Lodge had internet but not Wifi. Convenience items take some of the sting out of living in a hotel for a month, so toss them into a suitcase. Even something like having your own pillow might be nice if you are a picky sleeper. Keep that type of stuff in mind when packing your luggage.
Do you have thoughts about living on vs. off base? If you want to live on, you might see if your sponsor can get you in touch with someone else who does. In Atsugi at least, the floors are linoleum so people often recommend bring rugs, but it's nice to know sizes, if possible. Also, I hear people on base talking about needing to buy curtains and recommending people arrive with them if possible, so gouge like that is nice to have.
If you want to live off base, have money in savings. There are all sorts of deposits and fees--way more than stateside rentals. Some are reimbursable, and sometimes you can even get the Navy to pay some up front so you are never out that money even temporarily, but some will be out of pocket and for the rest, it is much easier to just pay it and get it back then try to deal with a landlord and Housing and PSD.
Also, if you are considering offbase, see if someone can go to housing and get a list of current available places for you. I won't help you actually pick a place, but it will give you a great idea of how much sqft. your OHA will buy for you.
We did take the opportunity to purge a lot of household crap, but I erred on the side of keeping things. As long as you aren't over the weight allowance, it's free so it doesn't really hurt anything to have something sit in storage and then get thrown away when you get to your next house. I was hesitant to toss something and then end up having to buy a new one in 3 years when I discovered that the chair I got rid of would fit perfectly in X location.
It's a pain, but we moved things so that everything in one small storage space was Express (UAB), 2 bedrooms, the living room and kitchen where regular move (HHG), and everything else was storage. Then we shut and actually taped over the doors for the rooms that each set of movers wasn't supposed to do. Out UAB was first, then HHG, then storage. We did leave a few major pieces of furniture in the "wrong" rooms but those would have been easy to notice being carried out on the wrong day.
Try to split up items so you have everything you need to get by in both your UAB and your HHG. It is not unheard of for the HHG to arrive first, so if you put every pot and pan and towel in your UAB, you'd then be screwed. Hedge your bets and make sure both have what you need to live.
Try to schedule your UAB well ahead of when you leave. It's easier to live without those things on that end, rather than this end.
Do not even consider bringing a car. EOD. Just don't. So many reasons. And cars here are cheap. A very decent car can be had for $2000 and something that will cause you no problems and last your entire tour just fine, but not look so pretty, can be found for $1000 or less. I don't recall registration being as pricey as helo wifey mentions, but a lot of that depends on how long is left on the various weird insurance things they require, as well as the size of the car (smaller car=cheaper registration). We bought our cars at a dealership and they handled some of the convoluted registration process for us, and I think we paid about $800 on each car in addition to the sticker price.
For clothes, there are so many places online that ship that make it easy, so personally, I wouldn't worry too much about that. Fit can be an issue there though, admitedly. You'll probably also fly back to the States at least once during your tour so you can always stock up then.
Opinions vary, but I say you should bring as much luggage as you can stand to haul (and don't have to pay for, though I'm told the Navy will reimburse if you exceed the airlines limits). Most airlines have generous allowances for luggage if traveling on orders. I think we were on Delta and the AD member was allowed 3 70 pound bags and I was allowed 70 pound bags, both of which are more than the normal person gets without being charged. We brought all 5. Not being familiar with weather (and maybe arriving during a seasonal change and therefore needing items to cover different conditions), not knowing what squadron events might be held before the rest of our stuff arrived, etc., having to have a zillion uniform items just in case Husband needed them before stuff arrive, etc., were all reasons to just bring as much as possible.
On that note, keep in mind you will almost certainly be living in a hotel room for at least a couple weeks. So luggage isn't just for clothes. Bring toys for the kids (you have kids, I think?) and things that will make that suck a little less for you. For example, we packed out wireless router since the Lodge had internet but not Wifi. Convenience items take some of the sting out of living in a hotel for a month, so toss them into a suitcase. Even something like having your own pillow might be nice if you are a picky sleeper. Keep that type of stuff in mind when packing your luggage.
Do you have thoughts about living on vs. off base? If you want to live on, you might see if your sponsor can get you in touch with someone else who does. In Atsugi at least, the floors are linoleum so people often recommend bring rugs, but it's nice to know sizes, if possible. Also, I hear people on base talking about needing to buy curtains and recommending people arrive with them if possible, so gouge like that is nice to have.
If you want to live off base, have money in savings. There are all sorts of deposits and fees--way more than stateside rentals. Some are reimbursable, and sometimes you can even get the Navy to pay some up front so you are never out that money even temporarily, but some will be out of pocket and for the rest, it is much easier to just pay it and get it back then try to deal with a landlord and Housing and PSD.
Also, if you are considering offbase, see if someone can go to housing and get a list of current available places for you. I won't help you actually pick a place, but it will give you a great idea of how much sqft. your OHA will buy for you.
We did take the opportunity to purge a lot of household crap, but I erred on the side of keeping things. As long as you aren't over the weight allowance, it's free so it doesn't really hurt anything to have something sit in storage and then get thrown away when you get to your next house. I was hesitant to toss something and then end up having to buy a new one in 3 years when I discovered that the chair I got rid of would fit perfectly in X location.
Thanks all for the responses. I wouldn't have thought of dividing up the necessities between the express and HHG shipments.
I don't think the size stuff should be much of an issue, we lived in a small condo prior to pax, have really only grown in the kids department. From some base housing floor plans we've seen it looks like most of our normal stuff should fit.
Any value to shipping things like uniforms to your sponsor ahead of time? I don't want to kill my luggage with all my uniforms (and the damned shoes) since it sounds like I'll need a full sea bag as my ship will be leaving on patrol shortly after I arrive.
We're planning on buying some rugs prior to departure to have ready when we get there as I don't think the base housing units are carpeted.
I've asked this question elsewhere, but does anyone have a good way to inventory what you own? Even if I were to go through the trouble of making a full inventory I doubt PPO would accept it as proof of ownership. They seem to want receipts as proof of ownership, but that seems a tad ridiculous to expect people to keep receipts for everything you own.
I don't think the size stuff should be much of an issue, we lived in a small condo prior to pax, have really only grown in the kids department. From some base housing floor plans we've seen it looks like most of our normal stuff should fit.
Any value to shipping things like uniforms to your sponsor ahead of time? I don't want to kill my luggage with all my uniforms (and the damned shoes) since it sounds like I'll need a full sea bag as my ship will be leaving on patrol shortly after I arrive.
We're planning on buying some rugs prior to departure to have ready when we get there as I don't think the base housing units are carpeted.
I've asked this question elsewhere, but does anyone have a good way to inventory what you own? Even if I were to go through the trouble of making a full inventory I doubt PPO would accept it as proof of ownership. They seem to want receipts as proof of ownership, but that seems a tad ridiculous to expect people to keep receipts for everything you own.
Take pictures and/or video of everything. All high value items should be annotated individually, instead of just included with "Item 157: Box of Linens" A lot of the small stuff I dont care about, but for my expensive stuff I take pictures either before the movers arrive, or as they are packing it up. I also shot video of my motorcycle being uncrated in case the movers dropped it, etc.
I have fought with DPS/PPO/whatever absurd government organization actually runs it. They asked for either a copy of a cancelled check or the receipt for a $3000 mountain bike I had purchased 4 years ago, that the movers broke. I kindly explained to them how stupid that idea was, and sent them a link to the manufacturers website which still had the retail price listed.
I have fought with DPS/PPO/whatever absurd government organization actually runs it. They asked for either a copy of a cancelled check or the receipt for a $3000 mountain bike I had purchased 4 years ago, that the movers broke. I kindly explained to them how stupid that idea was, and sent them a link to the manufacturers website which still had the retail price listed.
I walked around the house very slowly with a video camera, and also took photos. I even opened drawers and cabinets. Granted, I still cant say whether husband has 13 black t shirts or 14, but it gets pretty close without requiring an insane time investment.
I don't know about Sasebo, but out sponsors here were able to get our mail box on base set up up well ahead of time. The needed a copy of our orders (or some form or another) and the post office issued our box number, so we were able to mail stuff to ourselves. It was also nice because I had a forwarding address set up when I needed to give a new address for things. If you do mail uniforms, you might be able to get reimbursed for that, ar at least co claim it on taxes as a moving expense. Personally, I'd carry uniforms because the mail can be wonky. Typically, it take 8-10 days for something to get here, but sometimes something will take weeks, or months. If I were going to ship stuff, I'd send clothes, because if worse comes to worse you can make do with what is in your suitcase. Also, since you don't need those clothes on the Stateside end, you could mail them *way* in advance, which might not be the case with the uniforms. This is probably an abundance of caution, but it's something to keep in mind.
Another random thing: half of Japan runs on 50 hertz and half on 60. I don't know which Sasebo is, but if it's 50, leave any electric clocks at home as they won't keep proper time. As I type this, I realize that I'm not sure about the on-base power, so if your plan is to be on base, confirm this info with someone.
If you want American TV, I highly recommend checking out a slingbox before you leave. Also, if you want Vonage, they don't ship to APOs, so buy before you leave or you'll have to mail to your mom/cousin/girlfriend and haver her send to you.
I don't know about Sasebo, but out sponsors here were able to get our mail box on base set up up well ahead of time. The needed a copy of our orders (or some form or another) and the post office issued our box number, so we were able to mail stuff to ourselves. It was also nice because I had a forwarding address set up when I needed to give a new address for things. If you do mail uniforms, you might be able to get reimbursed for that, ar at least co claim it on taxes as a moving expense. Personally, I'd carry uniforms because the mail can be wonky. Typically, it take 8-10 days for something to get here, but sometimes something will take weeks, or months. If I were going to ship stuff, I'd send clothes, because if worse comes to worse you can make do with what is in your suitcase. Also, since you don't need those clothes on the Stateside end, you could mail them *way* in advance, which might not be the case with the uniforms. This is probably an abundance of caution, but it's something to keep in mind.
Another random thing: half of Japan runs on 50 hertz and half on 60. I don't know which Sasebo is, but if it's 50, leave any electric clocks at home as they won't keep proper time. As I type this, I realize that I'm not sure about the on-base power, so if your plan is to be on base, confirm this info with someone.
If you want American TV, I highly recommend checking out a slingbox before you leave. Also, if you want Vonage, they don't ship to APOs, so buy before you leave or you'll have to mail to your mom/cousin/girlfriend and haver her send to you.