{"id":75190,"date":"2026-07-01T18:47:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T18:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2026\/07\/01\/heres-where-the-services-stand-in-cutting-pcs-moves\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:37:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:37:44","slug":"heres-where-the-services-stand-in-cutting-pcs-moves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2026\/07\/01\/heres-where-the-services-stand-in-cutting-pcs-moves\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s where the services stand in cutting PCS moves"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Editor\u2019s note: This story has been updated to include a response from the U.S. Air Force.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. Army is moving ahead to meet the Defense Department\u2019s direction to cut the number of military moves<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Army officials announced they\u2019re cutting more than 12,000 relocations in fiscal 2026 and more than 13,600 in fiscal 2027, in an effort to provide more stability to soldiers and their families. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force haven\u2019t established specific numbers of military moves targeted for reduction in 2026 or 2027, service officials told Military Times. All noted that their reviews are ongoing, and key milestones for the Navy and Marine Corps are tied to implementation in 2027. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pentagon officials ordered the military service branches in May 2025 to cut by half the amount of money spent on Permanent Change of Station, or PCS, moves by fiscal 2030. DOD spends about $5 billion every year on these moves, which include the physical moves of household goods, as well as allowances and other entitlements related to moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just DoD that spends money on PCS moves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many service members face financial burdens <\/a>every time they move, and they\u2019re generally uprooted every two to three years. A recently released Military Family Advisory Network survey conducted in late 2025 found that 60% of active duty families who had made a PCS move in the previous two years paid more than $1,000 out of pocket, above what they were reimbursed. That was an increase over the survey conducted in 2023, when 45% reported paying that much out of pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Half of those reported the extra cost was attributed to re-purchasing consumable supplies that couldn\u2019t be shipped. They also cited utility deposits, rental deposits, hotel stays, rental cars and new vehicle purchases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pre-move costs like house hunting and preparing their home for a move added to the burden, said Gabby L\u2019Esperance, vice president of research and evaluation for the Military Family Advisory Network. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The financial burden is just one consequence of being uprooted, with moves contributing to spousal unemployment and difficulty finding child care, in addition to other challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Much-needed predictability\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Defense officials outlined that the services will target \u201cdiscretionary moves,\u201d such as PCS moves within the United States, overseas and individual service member travel. The services are directed to reduce these discretionary move budgets by 10% in fiscal year 2027, 30% in fiscal 2028, 40% in fiscal 2029 and 50% by fiscal 2030. The reductions will be based on the fiscal 2026 budget, adjusted for inflation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DoD specified the percentage of reductions in the budget, not the number of moves.<\/p>\n\n\n\t