Briefing · No. I

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Move-day discipline — what to capture.

Whether you're using HHG (Household Goods movers) or running a PPM (Personally Procured Move), the only insurance you have on move day is your own documentation. Five things to capture, in order:

1. Pre-move walkthrough video. Slow walk through every room, narrating condition. Cabinets open, drawers open, electronics powered on. The metadata timestamps it; the narration disputes any later "we never touched that" claim.
2. High-value inventory. Anything over a few hundred dollars on a separate list with model numbers, serial numbers, and photos. The DPS claim system processes these faster when itemized up front.
3. Empty and full weight tickets at certified scales. PPM only. No tickets, no reimbursement — that's not a guideline, it's the rule. Two scales (origin and destination) with empty and full readings.
4. Inventory descrepancy log. When the movers' inventory says "scratched, dented, soiled" on every box, you mark it and photograph it. Otherwise the claim later assumes that was the original condition.
5. Receipts for everything PPM-related. Truck rental, gas, packing materials, hotel nights en route, tolls. Keep them in one folder.

Reimbursement decisions live or die on documentation. If you've never run a PPM and want a sanity check on whether DITY makes sense for your route and weight, our PCS planner ballparks it free.

Briefing · No. II

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Memorial Day — survivor coverage check.

Memorial Day is when we remember the people who didn't come home. It's also a reasonable forcing function to confirm survivor coverage is current. Three things, fast:

• SGLI election. The default for active-duty is $500,000 of coverage. If you've paid SGLI premiums but never opened the SOES app to confirm beneficiaries, do that this month. After a marriage, divorce, or new child, your previous designation may not be what you'd want today. VA SGLI overview.
• SBP enrollment status. SBP (Survivor Benefit Plan) is the post-retirement piece — it pays your spouse a portion of your retired pay if you predecease them. If you're approaching retirement, the irrevocable election happens at retirement, not later. DFAS SBP.
• DIC awareness. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation pays surviving spouses of service members whose death was service-connected. It's separate from SBP and SGLI. Spouses don't always know it exists. VA DIC.

If you want a plain-English breakdown of who pays whom under what circumstances, ask the Military Expert.

Briefing · No. III

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Military Appreciation Month — the discounts worth taking.

May is full of "10% off for military" offers, most of which are worth less than the time it takes to scan your CAC. The few that meaningfully move money:

• Annual Disney military ticket window. Walt Disney World and Disneyland publish a yearly military ticket and room-rate offer that typically opens in spring. If you have a base trip planned, the math beats almost any other discount channel. Verified through Disney's official military offers page.
• Lowe's and Home Depot 10% off year-round. Stacks with major appliance promotions. If you're buying a washer/dryer for a new house at your next station, time it for a Memorial Day or July 4 sale and the discounts compound.
• National Park annual pass — free for active duty and Gold Star families. The America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees at all federal recreation lands. Veterans now qualify too. NPS military pass.
• State park fee waivers. Many states waive day-use entry for active duty in May. Worth checking the specific state's parks website where you live.

Skip the headline-grabbing "free meal at chain restaurant on May X" promotions unless you're already going. The hassle of crowds usually exceeds the value of the meal.

Briefing · No. IV

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BAH individual rate protection — quick reminder.

If you're PCSing this summer and your new station's 2026 BAH rate is lower than what you're getting now at your current station, individual rate protection keeps you on the higher rate as long as your dependency status doesn't change between orders. A common mistake is volunteering an updated dependency record (new baby, marriage) on the wrong day and inadvertently dropping the protection.

Sequence matters: confirm the move first, change dependency status once the new BAH at the new station is established. Your finance office can walk through the timing if you're unsure.