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This Week in DOD: PCS Move Hotline Goes Live, Fort Hood Returns, AUKUS Deep Dive

In May, the Defense Department acknowledged challenges with how service members ship their household goods from one duty location to another during a permanent change of station move and promised new changes would ease the burden. Now, the department has delivered on another of those promises.

A man rolls a large item into a house while three people sit on the lawn and watch.
Changing Stations
A contracted moving company delivers household goods at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, June 6, 2015.
Credit: Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jim Remington
VIRIN: 150609-N-WY366-093E

"Starting today, the Department of Defense will have a fully operational hotline to assist service members with moving trouble during this PCS season," said Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson during the Weekly Sitrep video. "This effort was only made possible due to [Defense] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth's quick action, giving the joint task force the authority and resources to consolidate all the experts and military service representatives in one place to ease the burden that comes with a military move." 

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Service members experiencing problems with their PCS moves should call 833-MIL-MOVE (833-645-6683) to get assistance. 

The hotline is the result of just one of the efforts of the Permanent Change of Station Joint Task Force, which stood up in May at the direction of Hegseth, to improve how the department moves service members from one assignment to the next. 

In a memorandum, released May 20, the defense secretary directed a variety of changes to make PCS moves easier for service members. 

"I take my responsibilities to our service members, civilians and their families seriously," Hegseth said at the time. "We will ensure we remain the most lethal fighting force in the world by ensuring that our warriors and their families receive the best PCS move available. The department owes them nothing less, and getting this right is part of restoring their trust in our military." 

Also, this week, one of the largest U.S. military installations got a new name.

Workers remove a tarp from a sign, revealing the words "Fort Hood, the Great Place."
Fort Hood
Sohail Salgado and Stephen Short drop a tarp at the Bernie Beck Gate sign to reveal the new name of the installation during the commemorative renaming ceremony of Fort Hood, Texas, July 28, 2025.
Credit: Janecze Wright, Army
VIRIN: 250728-A-RP113-4302M

"The department is proud to share that this week, Fort Hood, named after World War I hero Col. Robert Benjamin Hood, was unveiled," Wilson said. "The ceremony took place at Fort Hood in Texas, and those in attendance paid respect to Hood's dedication to service and his extraordinary courage during his time in the Army." 

During the ceremony held July 28, 2025, III Armored Corps and Fort Hood Commanding General Army Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral explained Hood's heroics. 

"Colonel Hood represents the ideal citizen soldier, a man who rose to the occasion when his nation needed him most and continued to give back long after the fighting had ceased," Admiral said. "In recognition of his service, Colonel Hood's name will live on as generations of soldiers who served and will serve here learn about his career and the impact he had on our Army." 

Fort Hood was established in 1942 to train soldiers on tank operations during World War II. Today, at more than 300 square miles, it is one of the Army's and the Defense Department's largest installations. 

Up north, changes came to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, as well.

"Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll ordered West Point to restore the school's crest on the Bibles at the West Point Cadet Chapel," Wilson said. "He also directed the chair of the West Point board of visitors to conduct a full review of the academy's hiring practices and stopped outside groups from selecting academy employees or instructors." 

Dozens of uniformed personnel walk across a lawn in front of a stone building.
Sandhurst Military Skills Competition
Army ROTC cadets compete in the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition, West Point, N.Y., May 2, 2025. Forty-eight teams participated in Sandhurst, including U.S. service academies, Army ROTC programs and international teams.
Credit: Sarah Windmueller, Army
VIRIN: 250503-A-PG511-5802

Driscoll announced July 28, 2025, that 1,800 new Bibles had been ordered for the academy's cadet chapel and they will bear the academy crest. Two days later, he directed changes related to how hiring is conducted at the school. 

Finally, this week, the department provided new insights into the ongoing review of the trilateral security partnership between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. Known as AUKUS, the agreement enhances defense capabilities and promotes stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

"DOD policy highlighted Secretary Hegseth's departmentwide review of the AUKUS initiative," Wilson said. "The department's assessment of this defense pact between the United States, United Kingdom and Australia will ensure it aligns with President [Donald J.] Trump's America First approach. The review is anticipated to be complete this fall." 

The office of the undersecretary of defense for policy revealed new details regarding the AUKUS review within a social media post. 

"As part of this process, the department looks forward to continuing regular engagements on this important matter with other parts of the U.S. government, the U.S. Congress, our allies Australia and the United Kingdom, and other key stakeholders," the department policy office wrote July 29, 2025. "The department anticipates completing the review in the fall. Its purpose will be to provide the president and his senior leadership team with a fact-based, rigorous assessment of the initiative." 

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