FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- Permanent change of station orders. Pack up your possessions and move to Fort Campbell.
Whether it's your first duty station or possibly your last in the Army, Soldiers, Department of Defense civilians and their Families can have a relatively stress-free move with the help of the Army Community Service Relocation Readiness Program.
ACS Relocation Readiness is "designed to answer questions, referral to other installation resources for your in-bound and out-bound move, as well as assistance with in-transit emergencies," according to Connie Silk, program manager.
The program offers the information, education and personal assistance to help make any move a positive experience.
ACS Relocation Specialists
To start the moving process down the right path, ACS Relocation Readiness specialists can assist anyone with reading and understanding PCS orders.
They can also help with planning the move to Fort Campbell, discuss what programs are available when a Soldier, civilian worker and Families arrive at the installation and introduce other resources at the new duty assignment, Silk noted.
The Relocation Readiness office is located in the ACS building 6733 Air Assault Street.
To schedule an appointment with a relocation specialist, call (270) 798-6313, (270) 798-0513, (270) 956-2676 or email acsrelocation@fortcampbellmwr.com for assistance, 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Plan My Move
In-bound Fort Campbell Soldiers, civilians and their Families can "take charge of their move," with an online, automated welcome packet, entitled "Plan My Move."
This packet, available at www.militaryonesource.mil, provides "access to information about entitlements and benefits, points of contact, checklists, planning tools, and information on the installation's in-processing, housing, medical, education, local communities and more when moving," Silk noted.
"It's an online resource that is updated and managed by the ACS Army Relocation manager," she said. "We have to certify that the information is accurate quarterly.
"We update it as we receive information from our other transition resources; housing, transportation, strength management, etc. -- we work together to ensure the Soldiers, civilians and their Families arriving the installation, have the correct information," said Silk.
"Plan My Move" provides Soldiers and Family members with a printable, three-month calendar of steps to "ensure a smooth move." Included are checklists for traveling tips, arrival, documents to hand-carry and important telephone numbers.
Automated welcome packets are available for many military installations.
For additional questions, "They can email us right from the [online] packet if there's something they don't understand or they don't have time to read it … ," Silk said. "We know where to refer them to get the right information."
The "Plan My Move" link is accessible at www.fortcampbellmwr.com/acs/relocation and Fort Campbell's website, www.campbell.army.mil.
Sponsorship
Upon receiving notification that they are being assigned to Fort Campbell, Soldiers should complete the DA Form 5434 (Sponsorship Program Counseling and Information Sheet) immediately "to benefit from the Fort Campbell Sponsorship Program." The completed form should be sent to the gaining unit S-1. The form is available at http://www.campbell.army.mil/Arrivals/Pages/default.aspx.
The sponsorship program is designed, "to counsel Soldier or civilian employees about sponsorship program entitlements and provide information to gaining battalion or activity of new members."
During the moving process, if a sponsor has not been assigned, Soldiers may also request a sponsor in the "Plan My Move" link. On the site, they fill out a short form and the email will be forwarded to the relocation manager at Fort Campbell for further processing to the installation sponsorship liaison.
To offer spouses some additional help during a move, Fort Campbell ACS Relocation Readiness created the Spouse to Spouse Sponsorship Program in June 2012. The spouse program was created to compliment the Total Army Sponsorship Program (TASP), the mandatory sponsorship program for transitioning Soldiers.
In Spouse to Spouse, volunteer spouse sponsors are assigned to an incoming spouse prior to or upon the new spouse arrival.
"As we receive requests from the incoming spouses, we try to match Family dynamics and assign them a sponsor in advance," Silk said. "When the new spouse arrives, many times they've formed a friendship and it continues after the two week settling in assistance."
ACS Relocation Readiness conducts quarterly sponsorship training for Soldiers, youth and civilian employees in the ACS Center, 6733 Air Assault St., where the subject matter experts are present to brief potential sponsors on program resources.
Amy Campbell was one of the post's first volunteer spouse sponsors to complete the training. In two years, she has assisted about a dozen new spouses with their transition to the Kentucky post. When she arrived at Fort Campbell with her Soldier-husband in 2010, the program was not established.
"I would have loved to have had a spouse sponsor," she said. "My husband couldn't even get unit sponsorship at the time that we came in. It was a difficult time. That's why I feel so passionate about the program and being involved because I had to figure it all out for myself."
Campbell usually assists newcomer spouses whose Soldiers are sergeants and below, with no children. From housing, to schools, to budgets, Campbell has answered a myriad of questions as a volunteer.
"A lot of my spouses are very stressed out. I want them to know that this is a really positive place that they are coming to …," she said. "While the transition is a stressful time, Fort Campbell is such a wonderful place."
Soldier and Family Newcomer's Orientation
All Soldiers reporting to Fort Campbell must sign in at the 1st Lt. Robert Kalsu Replacement Company (20th Replacement), 6916 Desert Storm Ave., and 34th Street.
To learn more about their duty station, Kalsu's newly in-processed Soldiers must attend the Soldier and Family Newcomer's Orientation. Established in December 2009, this interactive session showcases all of the support resources the post has to offer.
Although the orientation is mandatory for Soldiers, Silk urges all spouses and civilian employees to attend the daylong event, which includes a sponsored lunch, a bus tour of the post and an agency fair.
Newcomer's is held from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. every Thursday -- except holidays -- at the ACS Family Resource Center, just inside Gate 1. Limited child care is available. Reservations are suggested.
Spouses may attend the same orientation as their Soldier or at a later date, Silk said.
"They can learn so much, make so many contacts," she said. "We want you to come and learn about all these resources."
Editor's note: This is the first article in a three-part series about stress-free moves.
OTHER programs
•Smooth Move CONUS to CONUS and Mandatory Overseas (OCONUS) Orientation
Provides information on process and procedures of a permanent change of station (PCS) move. Smooth Move Orientations are provided first Tuesday of each month for those PCSing CONUS to CONUS and every Wednesday for PCS overseas. Spouses are encouraged to attend this briefing with their sponsor.
•The Lending Closet
Provides basic kitchen items for personnel arriving and departing Fort Campbell. Items are available for loan, at no cost, for 30 to 90 days. Copies of PCS Orders and military ID cards are required to borrow items.
•Newcomer's Orientation
Sessions are slated for April 22 and May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; June 5, 12, 19, 26; July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; Aug. 7, 14, 21, 28; Sept. 4, 11, 18, 25.
•Army Community Service Relocation Readiness Office is located at 6733 Air Assault St.
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