In order to be eligible for PCS benefits, an employee must:

• Be a permanent DISA employee.
• Officially accept his or her Transfer of Function (TOF).
• Meet the eligibility requirements defined by the Joint Travel Regulation, Volume 2, Chapter 5.
• Have his or her commute increase by at least 10 miles when DISA relocates to Fort Meade. The mileage increase is determined by comparing the distance of the commute from your current home to your current duty location to the commuting distance from your current home to the duty site at Fort Meade.
• Establish a new permanent residence a minimum of 10 miles closer to Fort Meade, Md. than the residence held at the time PCS entitlements are requested.
• Occupy the new residence and commute to and from Fort Meade from this residence on a daily basis.
• Serve with the federal government — preferably DISA — for at least one year after the effective date of his or her position’s move to Fort Meade.

DISA will work in conjunction with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) to educate employees about the specific items that will be authorized for reimbursement under the provisions of PCS. Employees should note that incurred expenses are reimbursable only; no monetary advances are available. Presented below is a summary, in general terms, of the categories of reimbursable expenses.

Shipment of Household Goods (HHG)

• 18,000 lbs. maximum weight authorized
• You have 2 years from the effective date of your position’s move to complete your HHG shipment

Temporary Storage of HHG

• 90 days of storage authorized
• Upon an employee’s written request, the initial 90-day period may be extended by an additional 90 days — if approved — by the Director of DISA or the DISA-designated approval authority.
• Storage can be at the point of origin or destination.

Sell and Buy Residence

• The employee has up to two years from the effective date of his or her position’s move to sell at the old duty station and buy at the new duty station. Upon the employee’s written request stating the reason, a two-year extension may be granted by the approving official at DISA. Please note, however, that for budgetary reasons DISA will generally not approve extensions.
• Sale of residence at the old permanent duty station: Reimbursement shall not exceed 10 percent of the actual selling price.
• Purchase of a residence at the new permanent duty station: Reimbursement shall not exceed five percent of the purchase price.
• An employee can request reimbursement after the sale or purchase of a home once he or she has received official PCS orders and has signed a service agreement (DD Form 1618) acknowledging his or her commitment to remain with the federal government for at least one year after the effective date of the position's move.
• View a list of reimbursable expenses.
• View a list of non-reimbursable expenses.

Miscellaneous Expense Allowance (MEA)

• MEA can be used to cover expenses that can not be easily categorized, such as carpet cleaning, replacement of window treatments, painting, automobile registration fees, disconnecting/connecting appliances, non-refundable utility fees/deposits, etc.
• An employee with no dependent(s) is eligible to receive a $500 flat amount, or, if expenses are itemized, an amount up to one week basic compensation — whichever is the lesser amount.
• An employee with dependent(s) is eligible to receive a $1000 flat amount, or, if expenses are itemized, an amount up to two weeks basic compensation — whichever is the lesser amount.
• The maximum miscellaneous expense allowance authorized must not exceed the highest basic salary for a GS-13 step 10.
• Receipts or itemized statements are only required (for MEA) when an amount exceeds that listed in the Joint Travel Regulation.
• An employee will be required to certify on the voucher that he or she has discontinued his or her residence at the old permanent duty station and has established a residence at the new permanent duty station.
• No advance of funds will be authorized for miscellaneous expenses.

Additional Information

Detailed information pertaining to expenses reimbursable under PCS can be found in the Joint Travel Regulation, Volume 2, Chapter 5.

DISA sponsored events — such as BRAC Town Halls — will provide a venue to ask specific questions about reimbursable expenses. Check our events calendar for upcoming town hall dates.

Finally, questions regarding specific PCS entitlements can be submitted to the DISA Travel Office.

1) Receive a Transfer of Function Letter

Transfer of Function (TOF) letters serve as the official notification that an employee’s job is moving.

DISA/JTF-GNO employees will receive a TOF letter approximately one year prior to their position being relocated to Fort Meade.

The receipt of letters will depend upon the scheduled move of an employee’s specific organizational element. However, letters will begin to go out to employees via e-mail in early Oct. 2009 — which is one year prior to the anticipated start of the first phase of scheduled moves (Oct. 2010).

View a tentative schedule for the delivery of TOFs.

2) Accept the Transfer of Function

Upon receipt of a TOF, employees will be surveyed to determine their intention to accept or decline the transfer. The responses will be non-binding, but will allow DISA to consider doing advance recruitment to ensure the agency has a viable workforce when the move to Ft. Meade is complete.

Accepting the transfer affirms that an employee will remain in his or her position even after the position relocates to Fort Meade. You must formally accept the TOF in order to be eligible for PCS benefits.  The process for electronically accepting the TOF will be explained in the letter.

3) Sign a Required Service Agreement

Each employee will be required to complete and sign a copy of the DoD Transportation Agreement (DD Form 1618) acknowledging his or her commitment to remain with the federal government — preferably DISA — for at least one year after the effective date of his or her position’s move to Fort Meade before PCS orders can be issued.

4) Submit a “Request for PCS Orders” Form

After an employee accepts the Transfer of Function and has an effective date for the move, he or she will be eligible to request PCS orders. Orders must be requested prior to the effective date of the position's move.

A “Request for PCS Orders” will require an employee to complete a brief series of questions intended to confirm that he or she is eligible for PCS benefits and understands the service agreement required. 

On the electronic form, employees will be asked to provide a justification as to why their relocation is in DISA’s best interest. In most cases, the justification will be that an individual’s commute time will decrease and quality of work-life will increase as a result of his or her relocation.

Sample “Request for PCS Orders” (reference Enclosure 1)

5) Schedule an Appointment with a Personal Property Processing Office (PPPO)

Once an employee receives PCS orders and determines their intention to move, he or she should schedule an appointment with a Personal Property Processing Office (PPPO).

PPPOs will assist you in making the arrangements to move your household goods from your current residence to your new residence or a temporary storage facility. They will serve as your primary point of contact throughout the process of moving your household goods.

In general, employees should have a timeframe for the move and know the estimated weight of their household goods when they arrive at their PPPO appointment.

Calculate Estimated Weight of Household Goods

6) Complete Your PCS Move

An employee may coordinate their PCS at any time after accepting his or her Transfer of Function and receiving PCS orders.

All aspects of a PCS move must be completed within two years of the effective date of the position's move to Fort Meade.

PCS expenses will be processed through paper claim forms, so it is critical to maintain an easily-verifiable set of receipts and financial records during the PCS process. Discuss strategies and tips for keeping track of expenses on the BRAC message boards.

Below you will find links to a number of forms used during the PCS process:

• DD 1618 - Transportation Agreement

• DD 1614 - Request/Authorization for DoD PCS Travel

• DD 1351-2 - Travel Voucher

• DD 2762 - Initiate or change Travel Related Direct Deposit

• DD 1705 - Application for Reimbursement Upon Sale or Purchase of Residence Upon Change of Duty Station

• DISA Required Form - Real Estate Claims Checklist

• Sample completed PCS paperwork

Every employee who is approved for PCS Expense Reimbursement will be required to serve with the federal government — preferably DISA — for at least one year after the effective date of his or her position’s move to Fort Meade.

The required service agreement will be a completed and signed copy of the DoD Transportation Agreement (DD Form 1618), which must be signed before PCS orders can be issued.

Example:

Tina receives her Transfer of Function (TOF) letter on October 1, 2009. The TOF letter states that her position will move to Fort Meade on or about October 12, 2010.

The “one year clock” for her service agreement begins October 12, 2010 and ends October 11, 2011.