SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. –
With nearly 200,000 permanent change of station moves expected in the approaching season, it is important for Team Charleston members to take note of the changes to the personal property shipment process.
The uniformed services began using the Defense Personal Property System to move Department of Defense personal property Nov. 19, 2008, which drives the new Defense Personal Property Program, or DP3, formerly known as Families First.
"The more a service member or DOD civilian knows about the new program, the better their move will be. DP3 and DPS really put them in the driver's seat," said Lt. Col. Daniel Bradley, the deputy chief of staff for Personal Property at Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command. "It allows them to manage, hands-on, their personal property move with improved information and access."
DPS provides the capability to self-counsel online from any computer with Internet access around the clock, seven days a week. Once PCS orders are in hand, members can estimate their household goods weight, enter relevant information, request pick-up and delivery dates, and let the prospective mover know of unique items requiring special attention, all without going to a transportation office. Once the move is complete, claims for damaged or missing items can be filed online as well.
A significant feature of the program is service members have a direct voice in determining the quality of movers they and their fellow service members receive. DPS captures the customer's assessment of the move in a short 12-question evaluation called the customer satisfaction survey. The evaluation scores are used to rank moving companies, awarding top performing companies with more shipments.
"The customer satisfaction survey is a critical piece of the program and it requires participation," Colonel Bradley said. "The only way we can expect an improved program in the future is if service members complete this evaluation for all moves."
Prior to beginning any household goods self-counseling in DPS, Team Charleston members should contact the base's Personal Property Shipping Office at 963-2261 to determine if the type of shipment is eligible for movement in DPS.
There are computer system requirements to access DPS. A list of these requirements can be found on the front page of www.move.mil.
"DP3 represents a new era of household goods movement for the DOD," Colonel Bradley said. "Because each move is unique, DP3 gives the customer the opportunity to work more directly with the moving company than the previous personal property program to establish what each member needs."
More information can be found under "DOD Customer" at www.move.mil.
Trisha Gallaway, 437th Airlift Wing Public Affairs, contributed to this article.