Fort Drum Guide › PCS checklist & money
Chapter · PCS checklist & money
Your family's Fort Drum PCS starts here.
A Fort Drum–specific checklist with real links and resources built into every step. Then the money: what you're owed in 2026, and the deadlines that cost families real money.
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Fort Drum housing checklist.
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Know what you're owed (2026).
This is the moving pay that comes with PCS orders, but only if the numbers are right and the paperwork is filed on time. Verify everything with your finance office.
Moving allowance (DLA)
A one-time payment toward the costs of setting up a new home, like deposits and utility hookups. The amount depends on rank and whether you have dependents. It isn't automatic: ask your finance office or request it in the DFAS SmartVoucher app, where it can come as an advance.
Mileage for driving your car (MALT)
Paid for each car you're authorized to drive, based on the official distance between duty stations. This rate took effect July 1, 2026.
Daily pay on the drive (per diem)
$110 for lodging plus $68 for meals for the soldier, each travel day. Family members 12 and older get 75% of that; children under 12 get 50%.
Hotel while you find a home (TLE)
Up to 21 days on a move within the U.S., used at your old duty station, your new one, or both. Up to 60 days in areas the DoD has approved for an extension. Keep every lodging receipt.
Moving a pet
For one cat or dog on a move within the U.S. Keep the receipts.
How much the movers ship, by rank.
Your household goods (the paperwork says HHG) are the furniture, boxes and belongings the movers pack and haul. The Army pays to move up to this weight, in pounds, with and without dependents.
| Rank | Dependents | |
|---|---|---|
| With | Without | |
| Enlisted | ||
| E-1 to E-3 | 8,000 | 5,000 |
| E-4 | 8,000 | 7,000 |
| E-5 | 9,000 | 7,000 |
| E-6 | 11,000 | 8,000 |
| E-7 | 13,000 | 11,000 |
| E-8 | 14,000 | 12,000 |
| E-9 | 15,000 | 13,000 |
| Warrant & officer | ||
| W-1 / O-1 | 12,000 | 10,000 |
| W-2 / O-2 | 13,500 | 12,500 |
| W-3 / O-3 | 14,500 | 13,000 |
| W-4 / O-4 | 17,000 | 14,000 |
| W-5 / O-5 | 17,500 | 16,000 |
| O-6+ | 18,000 | 18,000 |
Go over and you pay the difference: overweight charges run from several hundred to several thousand dollars. Get a weight estimate before you pack. The soldier's professional gear (work books, papers and equipment) and required medical equipment don't count against these limits.
Deadlines that cost money.
File the travel voucher within 5 working days of arriving at Fort Drum. That's the DoD rule, and it's how you get paid for the trip.
Report anything lost or damaged within 180 days of delivery, then file the claim within 12 months of delivery (9 months if your shipment was picked up before May 15, 2026). Note visible damage on the inventory before you sign. File late and you only get the depreciated value.
Photograph belongings and serial numbers before pack day. It's your evidence for claims.
Moving some of it yourself (a PPM)? Get certified weight tickets, empty and loaded. You're paid up to what the move would have cost the government, within your weight allowance, so get a cost estimate from your Transportation Office before you commit.
Movers won't pack these.
- Cleaners with bleach or ammonia, paint, gasoline & other hazmat
- Propane tanks (even small camping ones), ammunition, fireworks
- Plants, perishable food, and open containers
- Medications, important documents, and jewelry: keep these with you in an essentials bag.
Ready for your Fort Drum PCS?
Talk to a human who's done this move. Free, no pressure. A real person from our Fort Drum network calls you within 24 hours.
Got it. A real person calls you within 24 hours. Need someone now? Text or call (315) 221-4857.
Free for military families. We connect you, never spam you.Checked Sep 24, 2026 against the DoD Joint Travel Regulations and rate pages, the DoD Financial Management Regulation (travel claims), Military OneSource (claims and PPMs), the Fort Drum reception and housing pages, and TRICARE. Rates change, so confirm yours with your finance office and the Joint Travel Regulations before you count on them.