Personnel Management - Reduce PCS (Permanent Change of Station) Costs and Family Turmoil
Abstract
The Department of Defense (DOD) and the military services are continually seeking methods to reduce Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs, which are escalating. The thesis of this research is: Designation of future assignment locations for married officers will reduce PCS costs and family turmoil. When an officer is reassigned on PCS orders for a short period (one year or less) with a known end date, assignment officers should be able to project the next assignment location for many of these officers. Current officer personnel assignment policies do not routinely allow for a home-basing or follow-on assignment for intra-Continental United States (CONUS) PCS moves. Some officers could be returned to their previous location (home-basing) while others could be given their future base location. This would allow that officer to make the best decision concerning his family's move and save the government a significant amount of PCS funds at the same time. In addition to a literature review, a survey questionnaire was administered to 293 Air Force officers and 30 Army officers who were students in the USAF, ACSC, Class of 1986. The results of this questionnaire indicated that many officers would have taken advantage of the proposed programs resulting in significant savings for the government (in one proposal, potential savings of nearly $1.5 million for the sample surveyed). Most officers who indicated they would not use any of the proposed programs consider them to result in an unneccessary separation from their family. Other officers indicated that trauma, instability, psychological and emotional problems, disruption and general turmoil, all in varying degrees, are characteristics of each PCS move.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA177653
Entities
People
- Robert H. Upchruch
Organizations
- Air War College