In 2023, we moved twice for military duties from Fort Leonard Wood to Fort Jackson for five months, and then from Fort Jackson to Fort Liberty. With limited social outings and mobility because of my pregnancy, the Trader Joe’s grocery chain across the street from our apartment in Columbia, South Carolina became my on-the-go retreat.
Circling the aisles for mocktail ingredients like crunchy cucumbers, crisp mint, or zingy grapefruit (and, let’s be real, some sea salt brownies on the side) became a life-giving ritual amid the change of our six-month assignment prior to Fort Liberty. Did I mention Trader Joe’s was across the street?
Between researching housing at Fort Liberty, meeting remote work deadlines and blocking out the fact that I would soon have to pack the hot-coffee-filled tourist-trap mug in my hand from our recent beach trip, I would slip on some sandals and outside clothes, pack up my lil’ collection of reusable bags and cruise on over to Joe’s. It wasn’t necessarily the best or healthiest strategy … but for a month or two, it got me through.
And that’s what many families will be doing as we approach another permanent change of station (PCS) summer season — work to get through it. The hope, of course, is to take a step beyond surviving to some kind of thriving. But when it comes to taping hundreds of boxes after work, taking video tours of houses states away and praying for family heirlooms to arrive intact — well, sometimes getting through is the best we can do.
Pretty soon, families across the Fort Liberty region will be weighing whether they should make space in their Hawaii-bound container for their Alaska winter gear or take the time to sell it, and whether their great aunt’s bedazzled baby shower gift really warrants a place on the home inventory list along with the hundreds of other small (and large) decisions that accompany any move.
Fort Liberty families are certainly not alone in their concerns about PCS-ing and what it means. Relocation and PCS issues remain one of the top five greatest concerns as of the most recently released Blue Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey, along with military spouse employment, Basic Allowance Housing/off-base housing concerns, time away from family and military pay. Blue Star Families is a national nonprofit empowering military and veteran families to thrive through research and strategic partnerships.
“Military families are weighing the costs and benefits of military service, in the context of increasing out-of-pocket costs for housing and relocation, as well as rising food costs,” the report overview states.
According to Blue Star Families data, factoring in temporary housing, up-front housing costs and the monthly cost over the amount of BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing), the total cost of one PCS in 2022 was just over $8,000 for an active-duty family moving into rented civilian housing.
Though this presents an economic challenge, there is hope for change.
According to Jessica Strong, Fort Liberty resident and Senior Director of Applied Research at Blue Star Families and primary researcher for the BSFMFL survey, there have been several improvements in regard to PCS season and military families since the previous year. These include “an increase in the number of days allowed for Temporary Lodging Expense to address costs of temporary housing when families PCS, as well as increases in BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) and military pay increases,” Strong said. Every increase matters when it comes to making PCS season more manageable for military families.
The current BSFML Survey is currently open. Sharing your experiences through the 2024 survey goes a long way in continuing to improve the military family experience through informing policy recommendations for change.
“We’re trying to recruit as many military families as possible, especially those in the Fayetteville Fort Liberty region,” Strong said. This nationally recognized survey creates opportunities for military individuals and families to share both their positive and negative experiences, including their experiences with the PCS process.
During a PCS, families (adults and kids included) can face a lot of grief: losing places, work, people, events, items, routines, communities. Let’s not beat around the bush: it is t-o-u-g-h. Employ all of the healthy strategies you can. Talk it out. Walk it out. Book the therapy appointment. Call the babysitter. Take a breath. Call a friend. Lift weights. Complete the survey. Run the block. Make a midday mocktail.
In the end, if you’re still finding yourself struggling when it comes to your generally delightful zest and pep for life, remember: it’s temporary. You’ve done it before. You’ve made it through.
And sometimes it’s OK if getting through is truly the best you can do.
Aria Spears writes for CityView’s Homefront initiative. She’s a writer, communications professional and civic leadership enthusiast. With a master’s degree in nonprofit and civic leadership, Aria can be found exploring cities, persuading people to join local civic boards and sharing her book “The Community Mapping Journal.” When it comes to active-duty military family life, she believes that joy makes us strong.
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