How should I prepare for my first PCS move?

Get an old school map, no GPS, and drive around for 2 days and learn where everything is.

Best place to live is Enterprise. Flight school is College part 2 and you want to be near the other guys in your classes (for studying, parties, etc.) Since aviation is cutting their numbers and Enterprise went on a home building spree in the past few years there are tons of apartments/townhomes that all look the same but are pretty cheap. With a roommate the price gets even better.
There is nothing going on in Ozark and Dothan is too far for the 330 wake-ups when you have the morning flight line shift. The army and especially Ft Rucker make inprocessing a breeze so you shouldn't have any difficulties once you're there. Since you're a cadet just talk to your cadre about setting up your move at the closest transpo/finance office (wherever you do your FTX's I'm guessing).

First, congratulations on completing your education and your ensuing commission!! PCS is stressful but you can make things a little easier on yourself by reducing the stuff you don't need (I'm assuming that you are just starting out so you won't have a lot of furniture and stuff like that). Make sure and be there with the packers and movers and watch what is going on. Just today a friend told me that his movers packed and boxed a trash can full of garbage (ick) when they moved his stuff last month. I always thought that was an urban legend but I guess not! Separate anything important and or valuable (for example wills, marriage documents, passports, jewelry etc.) and carry it yourself. If you can, have water or sodas for the workers and maybe some snacks. They appreciate your effort. The last time I moved, the workers asked us not to buy pizzas (too fattening!) so we got them sandwiches. Also, stay friendly (I've heard many complaints from movers about the attitudes that some officers cop during the process), but don't be afraid to call something out that is wrong. This is your stuff they are moving!! Above all stay flexible. And be prepared to find at least one thing broken (doesn't happen every time but enough). You can make a claim on anything you find broken or missing. Take pictures of your most expensive and hard to replace stuff. Also, get all your stuff insured under a renter or home owner policy for transit. Good luck!!

First off, get rid of as much of what I call, " Stuff I'm keeping until I get a chance to go through it". Make a clean move, don't take a lot of stuff you KNOW you wont need, and wont use. That in itself is the essence of all PCS moves. If you can take leave, or if you can go to the area where you are going, scope out the areas, if know someone that lives in the area that is a big plus. Start clearing one room, ( if you have the space) and put everything you are taking with you. Some things you should pack yourself, other things, let the movers do it. Must watch the movers because one PC move they actually packed some trash that was in the trash can, ( really). When they pack your stuff up, even though you will get a list of what is in the boxes, by numbers, just take a sharpie and put like " kitchen", 'bathroom' on the boxes. Things that are precious to you, pack yourself and let them 'outer' box them up. The key is to make sure you get a good inventory in what condition everything is in prior to the move. As for looking for a place in general, I would say look for something close, then when you get your feet wet you can always move. Sometimes it's good not to live where there are a lot of military, meaning some rentals purposely drive up the their rentals because they know that they will get their rent. Also, wherever you rent, make sure they have a military clause in your lease.

I'm actually at Rucker right now going through Flight School. I would add my two cents but it would appear you already have plenty of that going on in this thread. However, feel more than welcome to message me if you need help getting through inprocessing or just getting started in general. It can be slightly daunting if you don't have anyone you know here to get you going at first.

Best of luck,
Justin

There are 4 towns around Ft. Rucker but 2 of them make it difficult to go home after PT or during lunch. Daleville is closest but it's smaller. Rent is generally cheaper but you get what you pay for. Enterprise is also close but is more expensive. It also has more options for all your retail & restaurants. Ozark is a good place if you want a place with some property but you most likely will not be ab l e to go home after PT or for lunch. Dothan is the bigger & more expensive town. It's also the furthest from the base & typically most expensive. http://www.ahrn.com is a good site to look for rentals around military installations. I'm stationed at Ft. Rucker currently so if you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Best wishes in your career and smile a lot. It makes life more fun.

Nice southern rural area. Not far from beach, people very hospital. There are no places that warrant staying away from. Follow your gut.

I packed and moved everything I owned for my whole career. If I broke something it was in me. No waiting for it to show up either, then rearranging the receipt of my goods at the other end. It was brutal heavy work every time, but for me it was less of a hassle. You can use a realty site like Zillow to get a good look at property values, and school ratings in the area you want to live. Talk to folks at the new base ahead of time. There are areas in every town that should be avoided. If you get the chance to take leave it might be a good idea to visit the new base, and do a Leader's Recon of the area. Requesting a sponsor sure can help as well. Having a point if contact on the ground that knows what the local area is like is quite helpful. You need to have quite a bit of money set aside for first month/ last month/ security deposit, as well as utility deposits if you intend to rent. Good luck.

Make sure they count every object. Everytime I PCSed I've had things stolen. If it's not on the inventory then it doesn't exist.

Take pictures of furniture before. They broke pretty much all of mine. Getting the Army to replace your furniture is pretty much impossible. So I also suggest getting civilian insurance.