If you had a good recruiter when you signed up for the military you were prepared for the fact that you will have to relocate. These Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves happen to everyone; it's part of military life.
Your first Change of Station can be confusing. The deal is this: the military will hire a commercial contractor to pack and move your household goods at a cost up to your authorized weight limit. This is based on rank, whether or not you have dependents and other factors.
Always start the process by making an appointment for an initial property counseling session with the military Personal Property Office on your base. Working together you’ll develop an estimate of your actual property weight. From this you’ll receive a Government Constructed Cost(GCC). This is the amount the government would pay to move your property with a procured move; up to, but not exceeding, your authorized weight allowance.
You can accept the government procured move or you can make a military dity move. The military dity move, often referred to as the Personally Procured Move Program, allows you to choose alternative methods of moving. The government will give you about 95% of the GCC, even if you do all the moving yourself. So, if you do it right, keeping all your costs down, you might make a little bonus money for your relocation.
If you choose to make a military dity move you can move your personal property yourself, using rental equipment, your own vehicle, or by hire your own commercial carrier at a lower cost. The military dity move is usually a good idea for a service person with not a lot of property and no kids. Often you can use your personal vehicle and pocket almost all of the benefit. A military DITY move can be an earner!