Just about every military wife has sung the PCS blues.  “The Army is moving us again.  What in the world have I gotten myself into with this move?  I’m so alone, and I don’t know anyone or anything here.  I want to go home.”

Although nothing will eliminate the initial anxiety you feel in a new place, there are some things you can do to help make the move easier for both you and your family.

First, contact Army Community Services at your new duty station for a welcome packet.  These packets contain information that can make a foreign place seem more familiar before you even move. 

At Fort Lewis, the packet includes the following:

Puget Sound Military Guide containing history of the area, main attractions, regions to explore, information on getting around, info about driver’s license, license plates, school districts, colleges, shopping centers, health care facilities, and a short introduction to the local communities 

Maps of Pierce County, Fort Lewis, Washington state, Tacoma, and Thurston County

A post guide and telephone directory on CD 

Pamphlets and guides to Army Community Services programs including: Army Family Team Building, Employment Readiness Services, Exceptional Family Member Program, and the Relocation Readiness Program that offers a Family Welcome Brief 

Also included in the packet is contact information for the military and family life consultants who provide support to soldiers, military families and civilian personnel who are having trouble coping with stress, deployment, separation, moving, and getting acclimated to a new area. Contact with these consultants is confidential, and no written records are kept.  Fort Lewis contact info: (253) 495-8425 or (253) 495-8426. 

However, perhaps the most important thing you can do when you make a permanent change of station is to move with a positive attitude.  Look at your time at the new duty station as an adventure and opportunity to see another part of the country or world. 

Here are some tips for making the transition less stressful and maybe even fun: 

The military allows one travel day for every 350 miles of travel.  If you are traveling a long distance, turn the PCS move into a cross-country vacation.  Make a trip plan and stop and see the places you pass through.

Visit Web sites such as www.militarybyowner.com to find a rental or buy a home before the move.  Sometimes being prepared and not having to settle into a house or place that you don’t really like can make the move easier. 

Ceck out schools before you move.  Every school district in the country has information available about it on the Department of Education Web site, including a report card that tells how that district is doing.

By a travel book and become a tourist for a while in the area you will live in.  See what the tourist books suggest you do and pick the things that interest you.  Find a favorite family restaurant.  Find the closest theaters.  Visit the cities and see what each has to offer.

Join clubs, a church, women’s groups, or a gym.  Get involved in your community or at schools. 

Finally, don’t give up.  Give the new location a chance.  And remember, if you don’t like it, chances are you won’t be there long anyway.  There will always be another PCS move in the military.

To obtain a Welcome Packet from Fort Lewis write to: Army Community Services, Building 2140, Waller Hall, Fort Lewis, WA 98433 or call (253) 967-7166.