Got your orders? First thing, go see the TMO

  • Published
  • By Mary Lou Gorny
  • Hilltop Times editor
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Beginning April 1, the Joint Personal Property Shipping Office in Colorado (JPPSO-COS) will implement a minimum three week notice for all shipments.

This will affect local moves, non-temporary storage pick-ups and releases, and Direct Procurement Moves. Personally Procured Moves (PPM), or better known as "DITY," are not affected under this notice.

Therefore, the Hill Air Force Base Traffic Management Office (TMO) is required to comply with this directive as with other Department of Defense installations under a JPPSO area of responsibility.

All Airmen and DoD individuals who use the TMO would be well advised to get in and make an appointment as soon as orders are issued, said Joseph Moore, 75th Air Base Wing Traffic Management Officer.

"We can better help them help themselves if they come into this office first to establish a move date prior to giving notice vacating quarters, regardless of whether they are on base or downtown," said Moore. "If something changes after your packing dates are confirmed, a date change request is always an option to push it back if need be -- however it rests heavily on the transportation service provider (TSP) if they can accommodate it. There's no guarantee that they can but at least you have a stronghold to get things set in motion."

Moore said that every summer there is an influx of military and DoD employees who change their permanent stations. "It puts a strain on the transportation industry to try and meet their demands to move their property," he said. "With the implementation of the Defense Personal Property System things have changed.

"In order to help smooth the transition from one base to another, separating or retirement, they are asking for a minimum three week window in order to accommodate packing date requests," Moore said.

Housing moves on base within Boyer Hill Military Housing are included within this three-week minimum.

"One of the biggest things that we experience in PCS moves in the summer is that our customers give notice to their property managers first before coming into our office to secure packing dates," he said.

"We can't use vacating your quarters, be it military or civilian housing, as a justification to get property picked up sooner rather than later. JPPSO-COS is on stand by and they are geared (for the three week minimum window). Shipment requests with less than the minimum three week requirement will undergo close scrutiny. Even with a three week minimum notice, members should give us alternate dates because the original requested pack dates might not even work out," Moore added.

"Last year we experienced a backlog of shipments that could not be picked up and it was due to the inability to find enough drivers to move the property," he said. This is an effort in order to avoid that scenario this year.

There will be a few exceptions to the minimum three week rule, but they will be the exception not the rule:

Orders issued at the last minute will have to have a Report No Later That Date, or RNLTD, to the next permanent duty station within three weeks in order to have it classified as short notice. Example: Orders issued April 1 with a May or June RNLTD to the next PDS will not be processed as short notice. Orders issued April 1 with a report date of April 15 would.

The responsibility is on the Airman to make sure all requirements are met with the Military Personnel Flight (MPF) in order to get orders cut as soon as possible.

The three week window means three weeks after the initial appointment with a counselor in the TMO. That does not mean the initial call or the initial contact that is made with the TMO.

Moore issues two other important reminders after counseling: Call the TMO if you have not been contacted by a TSP or received a confirmation e-mail within 10 days of the first pack date. That way the customer will be supplied with the appropriate TSP contact information or head off any potential booking delays with JPPSO-COS.

If a member is barely within the three week window, supply alternate dates. Even with the three week window it's possible the pick-up date might need to be a week later during the busiest time of the year.

To contact TMO and set up an appointment with a counselor call (801) 775-2849 or (801) 775-3828. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.