Can you help me understand accompanied PCS overseas?

SPC Josh Tharp — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 20:31:19 -0400

How rare are unaccompanied OCONUS duty stations for married soldiers? I have a wife and kids and would like to have realistic expectations for my family if an overseas duty was available or assigned?

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Aug 20 at 2020 8:52 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 20:52:33 -0400

It depends. You can go accompanied or unaccompanied. The tour length for unaccompanied is 1 year.
- Korea has accompanied tours for the last few years.
- Germany is almost always accompanied.
- Japan is mostly accompanied.
- all places have limits due to EFMP unique requirements.
- you can volunteer to go unaccompanied for a shorter period due to family needs.
- there are other lesser included cases in other countries, but these will be the main foreign overseas tours.
- HI and AK are "overseas" tours and are common enough.
- all others are case by case l(talking PCS not an operational or combat deployment): Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Norway, UK, all of those are accompanied to my knowledge
- there are still others I don't know about, but these lesser included cases are usually for more senior NCOs, warrants, and officers.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 20 at 2020 9:05 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 21:05:14 -0400

unless its considered a hazardous duty station I.E (Kuwait, Turkey, and select locations within Korea) you will go accompanied

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 21 at 2020 3:05 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 03:05:29 -0400

Every OCONUS tour has an Accompanied and unaccompanied tour. To take your family you must choose the Accompanied tour and be accepted for command sponsorship. For the unaccompanied tour you must request an unaccompanied tour. Some tours are unaccompanied by default; these are called hardship tours and are usually one year long. The DOD JFTR Appendix Q outlines which locations have which requirements. As a general rule you can request command sponsorship for Korea, Alaska, Hawaii, Germany, Japan, and Italy. Korea, Kuwait, Honduras, Cuba, and Egypt are common hardship tours

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Aug 21 at 2020 4:57 AM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 04:57:41 -0400

If I understand your question. The bases have nice housing, schools, hospitals and clinics, PX and Commisary and all other infrastructure needed by Service members and Families. Go online and look at oversees bases.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 21 at 2020 6:54 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 18:54:39 -0400

It depends on your whole situation, if you’ve come down on orders or if you’ve re-enlisted for a certain duty station overseas. Make sure you do your homework on the duty station you’ve picked or came down on through HRC. Beware that sometimes you will be going overseas alone due to rotations of unit in and out of South Korea, Germany and Poland. 9 times out of 10 though you can bring your family just know that, there is chance o not bringing them with you.