The API -> Primary move.

[Squid]

The time is growing near for me and the wife to prepare to move from sunny Florida to sweaty Texas.

I have a TON of questions. I've perused the required reading and old topics for some of the answers. None were specific to my move.

1) I was told API check-out is that Friday of week 6, and check-in to the new duty station is the following Monday. Is this true for Corpus?

2) Are the single members' orders PCS or TEMDUINST from API -> Primary? How about you married types? (will my orders show my wife on them so the nav can move her gear?)

3) Those of you that left that BOQ to head to your new locality. How much time did you give the BOQ office before you left? Did you need to get that done prior to checking out of the base, if at all? (Did you physically have to leave the BOQ in order to check out?)

4) Who do I talk to about partial/DITY moves and getting reimbursed for it? Both my wife and I have our HHG in government storage (she was just discharged from active duty and the gov is holding her stuff here in P'cola) and will have the government forward it to Corpus. I will, however, be taking a UHaul with stuff I've accumulated here.

5) DLA - PSD HERE said they don't do advance DLA because Corpus doesn't want to do the extra paperwork. How do I go about getting it when I get there? Also, any firsthand experience at CC would be awesome.

6) Advance pay. How does it work exactly? Can I get it here, or do I have to wait to file a travel claim?

As you can tell, I'm not a prior E. So go easy gents.

-Squid

 

[Jaxs170]

This info is 18 months old so it could be out of date so double check to be safe:

1) Yes its true, you have to check in by 2359 on Monday. I didn' leave Pcola till Sat afternoon and made it to Corpus late Sunday afternoon. Other guys left Friday afternoon and made it to Corpus very late that night.

2) Dunno.

3) I gave the BOQ ZERO notice, just packed my stuff up and when the room was empty I turned in my key, paid the $20 and started driving.

4) Talk to personal property, they'll hook you up with the partal.

5) PSD handles DLA, see them.

6) Dunno.

Hope some of this helps.

 

[Squid]

Yep, it helps. I'm trying to work moving all my junk during that weekend so I don't have to check-in, go on leave just to come back to P'cola and tie up all loose ends.

 

[lowflier03]

1)Yes as previously stated
2)PCS The Navy will move your stuff. Its approx 9 months for Primary out in Corpus...at least for me, and that qualifies as PCS.
3)Just pack your stuff and check out. Though it is always good to give them advance notice.
4)Talk to personal property. You will arrange to have your stuff picked up and then delivered out to Corpus. The partial DITY you just pick up an extra form, have your vehicle(s) weighed empty and then full and save all gas receipts. (This is a seperate travel type claim through personal property, not PSD) The Personal Property people are much, much more helpful in Corpus than here. They can walk you through it. The PP here sucks big time. They just dont care.
5)You will deal with a PSD person when you check in at the Wing in Corpus. They will take care of travel claims and DLA. Basically on your travel claim there are boxes at the top to check what kind of claim it is, and you just check both the PCS and DLA boxes. DLA is basically free money that you can get for moves and you can get it up to 2 times per fiscal year. It is 2x BAH and is supposed to be used to cover moving expenses...though you dont get it till about 2 weeks after you file a travel claim. They dont tell you about any of this in Corpus though, they are lazy and you pretty much wont get advance anything for the move out there.
6)You can request advance pay, I believe that goes through PSD, but you have to have good reason for requesting it. Usually its alot of paperwork and they dont do it. At least not for the API-Primary move.

 

[scooter86]

let me get this straight... API is in FL and Primary is in TX? Where is the rest of it at? This means you only have to spend 6 weeks in FL? Thanks

 

[lowflier03]

You do API in Pensacola, FL. Primary can be done in Whiting, FL or Corpus Christi, TX. Advanced can be done at Whiting, Corpus, Kingsville or Meridian. Depending on what you want to fly.

 

[skidkid]

About PSD "not wanting to do the extra paperwork" YOU RATE ADVANCED DLA if you need it talk to a supervisor. I didnt know any better when I went through training but a lot of times they blow smoke up you @ss and figure you wont call them on it because of a lack of experience. If someone tells you you dont get something you rate because it is too much of a hastle for them ask these vey simple words "Let me talk to the petty officer/cheif/gunny" and if that doesnt work talk to the Perso.
I hate that lazy B#llsh$t.

 

[bluesmobile]

You don't get DLA when you move to your first permanent duty station. Since API/IFS counts as a temporary stop, you won't get DLA until you move out of Corpus to wherever your next permanent duty station is. DLA would've been nice for going to primary... I think prior enlisted and BDCP people are eligible, but that's about it (they have a prior permanent duty station).

Can't seem to get the link to work, but here's the source:
http://141.116.74.201/CGI-bin/OM_ISAPI.DLL?clientID=143052&hitsperheading=on&infobase=jftr.nfo&record={3A3E}&softpage=Document42

 

[Squid]

reading that link it says :

from home or from PLEAD to first PDS unless the dependents actually move from the member's residence to the PDS or designated place in connection with the PCS;

my wife's coming with me, so I believe I an eligible.

 

[chubbs]

ENSsquid, skidkid is right. They told me before I came to API that I wouldn't get DLA because I was TAD after comissioning and at API, then when I checked in at Whiting I got DLA (because I was married) and it took me forever to figure out why my travel claim was so large. Bottom line is you have to keep track of what you are entilted to and keep asking different people till you get it. It sucks but I know a prior rescue swimmer who was TAD for almost a year and they were trying to get out of giving him his money because it was less work for them. Also the last week at API they will have a brief on everything you need to know about checking out, including a timeline of when stuff needs to be done. Hope that helped.