Military spouses from across the joint force joined the Permanent Change of Station Joint Task Force for a virtual town hall, Aug. 27, to share their input on their experiences regarding household goods.
Army Maj. Gen. Lance Curtis, PCS JTF commander, hosted the town hall to capture the experiences of military families and provide their recommendations to the defense secretary from those affected by military moves. PCS Joint Task Force leaders and subject matter experts from every branch of the military facilitated the discussion. They heard firsthand accounts from spouses worldwide about the challenges they faced during PCS moves.
The town hall centered on three primary topics:
- How the Defense Department can better prepare service members and families for the PCS season.
- Concerns about the quality of service from movers and the industry at large.
- Challenges with the household goods claims process.
Spouses emphasized the need for clearer communication and earlier access to information, suggesting the use of standardized checklists, mobile apps, or information hubs to reduce confusion during moves. Child care emerged as a repeated concern, with many spouses noting the difficulty of monitoring movers while caring for children.
Other issues included inconsistent guidance from relocation counselors, unexpected out-of-pocket expenses, concerns about data privacy during digital home surveys, and frustrations with claims and reimbursement timelines. Families also called for stronger accountability and vetting of moving companies to ensure professionalism and safeguard their belongings.
The PCS Joint Task Force highlighted that their work is already underway to address these concerns. The task force is comprised of representatives from every service, including officers, enlisted personnel, reservists, DOD civilians and even a civilian spouse, ensuring a wide range of perspectives are represented.
Since its creation earlier this year, the team has taken decisive actions, including terminating a major contractor that failed to meet expectations. It launched a 24/7 PCS call center that, over the course of about one month, has resolved over 635 household goods issues, often within 24 to 48 hours. The task force has also proactively reached out to nearly 1,000 families to offer support, hosted an industry day with moving companies and conducted joint planning sessions with the military services to shape long-term solutions.
"We care about you," Curtis said. "That's why we're doing this, we have empathy, and we want to make things better. Please continue to communicate with us; we want to help you."