Thirty thousand more military families have been approved to go ahead with their move to a location due to new assignments, known in military parlance as “permanent change of station,” defense officials said Wednesday.
The approved moves are exceptions to a worldwide stop movement order for troops and their families issued through June 30 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Already, 12,500 families have moved under the exceptions, officials said.
Officials expect additional numbers of families to put in and be approved for requests before June 30. Each move will be conditions-based and dependent on each family, officials said. Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced new measures to keep families safe during the moves during a Pentagon press conference on Tuesday.
“We are announcing new safety measures through the U.S. Transportation Command to protect our troops and their families during the packing and moving process. Moving professionals will be required to adhere to the CDC’s COVID-19 health protection protocols, which include wearing face coverings, cleaning surfaces, and practicing social distancing,” he said.
“Furthermore, DOD is requiring moving companies to provide certification to service members that their personnel have been screened for illness in line with the CDC guidelines,” he added.
Transcom Director of Defense Personal Property Program Rick Marsh said the new protocols for movers include wearing face coverings, minimizing moving crew size to enable social distancing, routinely cleaning frequently touched surfaces, and practicing good hand hygiene.
Movers must also present written verification that they have been screened for illness and will be properly equipped to adhere to protocols, Marsh said. However, if families are not comfortable, they should stop and reschedule their moves, he said.
At the same time, he said families should also practice social distancing and should reschedule their moves if anyone is ill.
He said a Department of Defense representative will contact every family during every move in person or virtually.
Marsh beginning February 2021, moves will take place under a new contract as part of a reform effort to address “long-standing pain points that DOD families have highlighted for years.”
The contract was competitively awarded to American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier Group Incorporated (ARC) of Parsippany, New Jersey, said Transcom Director of Acquisition Ken Brennan.
Transcom Senior Enlisted Leader Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jason L. France said the new contract, awarded April 30, “puts us on the right path to fixing issues that have plagued defense personal property program for years.”
“This is an absolute win for our service members, Department of Defense employees, and our families,” he said, adding that he has moved 15 times in 30 years, nine times with family.
“I’m absolutely confident that we will now be able to deliver the quality of service that our people and our families deserve going into the future,” he added.
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