101 days of peak summer moving Published May 17, 2007 By Tech. Sgt. Darin Mitchell 319th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Traffic Management Flight GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Are you planning to move, retire or separate this summer? Then this article is for you. For Airmen who have moved since October 2003, the information contained here may simply be a refresher of what you already know. For others, this may be the first time you've seen or heard about changes to the personal property move process. In October 2003, the Department of Defense regionalized all of the Traffic Management Flight back office functions at Grand Forks Air Force Base to the Joint Personal Property Shipping Office, Colorado Springs, Co. Simply put, the TMF transferred the functions of scheduling inbound or outbound portions of your personal property move to JPPSO-COS. As a result, the TMF has become the liaison to you by providing personal property move counseling and ensuring you are in contact with JPPSO-COS. Lt. Col. David Holt, Director of JPPSO-COS offers the following tips to help you alleviate some of the stress you may experience during this busy time: 1) Make an appointment as soon as you get your orders, but no later than 45 days in advance of your requested pack and pick-up date; this allows adequate time for the booking section to get a carrier arranged. It's important to have not only your desired pack and pick-up dates, but a second and third option as well in the event your primary dates are not available. The JPPSO goal is to book your shipment 30 days prior to the shipment pickup date. Once it's booked, you will receive an automated phone call followed up with an e-mail confirming your carrier, local agent and their contact information and your pack/pickup dates. JPPSO will not change your pack/pickup dates unless an emergency situation arises. As a general rule, the last week of the month is the busiest time for moves. 2) Make sure you provide good contact information; phone numbers and email address, for origin pickup, in-transit and destination. Historically, members provided a home telephone number for origin pickup then disconnected the phone prior to their pack date. It's best if you have a cell phone and provide that number for contact throughout your move process. 3) "No shows" for an appointment at the TMF will result in no-show letters being issued through your commander and may also result in you missing your requested pick-up date; bottom line - be on time for your appointment. Please contact TMF as soon as possible if an emergency arises so that we may reschedule your appointment. Additionally, at any time during your move, don't be afraid to ask questions if you are uncertain about a particular entitlement or move process. 4) When you report to your new duty station, immediately notify the destination TMF (their phone number is listed in block 13 of your shipment application) with contact information and delivery instructions. All too often servicemembers discuss plans with the carrier, or their agent, but fail to provide contact information to the destination TMF. Not contacting the destination TMF to provide updated contact information often results in inconvenience and could result in excess costs to the servicemember. The destination TMF typically has two hours to notify you of shipment arrival and to make a decision to either put your property in temporary storage or direct the delivery to your residence. Keep in mind that delivery from temporary storage could take several days or weeks during the summer, depending on location. Both JPPSO and the Grand Forks TMF encourage you to be pro-active and involved with your move from counseling appointment to final delivery. Timely communication between you, our office and JPPSO-COS is extremely important to ensure your move is seamless. For more information on moving household goods and helpful tips for getting ready for a move, visit the Air Force Move Web site home page at http://afmove.hq.af.mil. We are available to answer any questions and to help alleviate the stresses you can face during a move. Simply give one of our personal property counselors a call at 747-3459 or you may contact our Quality Control section at 747-3457.