Relocation staff offers variety of resources

By Ms. Laura Levering (Fort Gordon)January 29, 2020

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It's a new year, and for some service members and their families, that means a new duty station.

Whether you recently arrived at Fort Gordon, have orders to leave, or have been here for several months, Relocation Readiness has resources to help make your arrival -- or departure -- a smooth one.

Relocation Readiness is an Army Community Service program designed to serve as a "one-stop shop" for anyone moving to Fort Gordon or leaving for the next duty station.

"Our goal is to help new service members and their families feel connected to the Fort Gordon community," said Sharell Byrd, Relocation Readiness program manager.

One of the primary ways Relocation Readiness achieves that goal is through its weekly newcomers orientation, which is mandatory for all service members arriving to Fort Gordon. And although family members are not required to attend, Byrd and her coworker, Kenya Elder, highly encourage they do.

"Sometimes when a Soldier receives new information, what they do is they close their binder up, go home, sit down … and the spouse doesn't know anything," said Elder, Relocation Readiness admin and social services assistant. "Now if the spouse comes, they can hear for themselves and get all that information, take notes if they want, and see all that there is going on in the area."

Those who are simply curious or who want to learn more about what Fort Gordon and surrounding communities have to offer are also welcome to attend.

Other services Relocation Readiness offers include relocation counseling, cultural adaptation classes, support for foreign-born spouses, liaison to citizenship immigration services, pre-move workshops, and a mandatory overseas briefing for those preparing to move overseas. One of the lesser known and underutilized resources available is the lending closet, which allows military personnel to borrow basic household goods for up to 30 days with the option to extend if requested.

The lending closet is intended to help personnel save money while waiting on household goods to arrive from their previous duty station. The service is free and available to all military ID cardholders, including civilians. Items that can be borrowed include small electrical appliances, cookware, utensils, high chairs, sleeping mats, microwaves, ironing boards, coffee pots and more. Most items are either new or in excellent condition.

Relocation Readiness also has a computer lab, cell phone charging center, fax machine and brochures from surrounding communities -- all at no cost to military ID cardholders to access.

Relocation Readiness is located in Darling Hall, Room 172. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The office is closed on federal holidays.

Stop by the office or visit https://gordon.armymwr.com/relocation for more information.