Posted on Jan 20, 2016
Should the weight limitations for a PCS move be determined by Pay Grade or by the amount of dependents a Soldier has?
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Responses: 4
You were not issued dependents, nor were they a requirement to enter service. HHG movement at GOV expense is a benefit. With career progression comes more benefits. Like anything else worth having in life you must earn it. ...
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SGM Erik Marquez
SSG(P) (Join to see) - Don't get me wrong, I respect any SM that enters service DOES THE JOB no excuses, no I can’t go to training, no I have to be home early today, tomorrow and late on Thursday.. Does the job EVERY DAY and is a PFC with 3 dependents at home. That's a huge responsibility for that SM,,but one of their own making, not one assigned to them by the service they entered freely and of their own desire. So my belief is, the amount and weight of that SM's HHG is also there responsibility.. Either pair it down to what is allowable at government expense or accept some charges will be reimbursed.
My Wife, I and our son when we were both E5 had more HHG weight than allowances. We solved that by doing a DIY move.. What we were paid while seen as an extra bonus for the work to most military couples used on a night out on the town, or a new set of curtains, car down payment, ect.., for us was actually spent on renting two of the largest moving vans that could be had on a class C license. I accepted the fact that my tools, machinery, motorcycles and car parts, and life goods that two grown adults and a young boy could gather was over my HHG allowance .
My Wife, I and our son when we were both E5 had more HHG weight than allowances. We solved that by doing a DIY move.. What we were paid while seen as an extra bonus for the work to most military couples used on a night out on the town, or a new set of curtains, car down payment, ect.., for us was actually spent on renting two of the largest moving vans that could be had on a class C license. I accepted the fact that my tools, machinery, motorcycles and car parts, and life goods that two grown adults and a young boy could gather was over my HHG allowance .
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It should be based on rank AND the number of dependents. Remember, allowances are based on the average E-3 and E-7, not your special case outliers. With your example, that same E-7 is in all likelihood older, more well established and simply has more stuff than your typical E-3, who in most cases is between 18-21 and likely put all of his belonging in a duffle bag.
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To be fair, that same E7 could have 9 dependents and still get 13,000 pounds. It's not the NUMBER of dependents, it's the fact that you have dependents that count.
http://www.move.mil/documents/dod/Weight_Allowance_Table_JTR.pdf
There are assumptions made that as you progress in rank, you have more (or heavier) stuff, because frankly you have more disposable income. There is no assumption made that you have more dependents, nor should there be.
Now, if you look at the E1-3 jump from without dependents to with, you will see it is $3000, whereas the E7 only gets $2000. (E4-E6 are on a "sliding scale"). Generally speaking, your rank pays your more of a benefit, but the dependent does not. The E1-E3 is an outlier.
http://www.move.mil/documents/dod/Weight_Allowance_Table_JTR.pdf
There are assumptions made that as you progress in rank, you have more (or heavier) stuff, because frankly you have more disposable income. There is no assumption made that you have more dependents, nor should there be.
Now, if you look at the E1-3 jump from without dependents to with, you will see it is $3000, whereas the E7 only gets $2000. (E4-E6 are on a "sliding scale"). Generally speaking, your rank pays your more of a benefit, but the dependent does not. The E1-E3 is an outlier.
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Part of it is the mandatory furniture items you are required to buy at certain duty stations as you advance in your career. For example, if you are assigned to Germany, you are obligated to buy a 1000 pound shrunk. German houses don't normally have closets, so everybody buys a monsterous shrunk that looks normal size in the furniture store, but takes up your entire living room when you get it home. Nothing makes a movers day like unloading a military guy coming to the states from Germany, when he sees the five piece shrunk of solid teak, including a 90 degree corner to be assembled including internal shelf lighting.
I'm pretty sure the shrunk actually is mandatory, as I have never visited the house of someone who was stationed in Germany that didn't have one consuming an entire room in their house. Throw in a few nutcracker soldiers on the shelves and you're wunderbar! :)
I'm sure other duty stations have their obligatory furniture item as well, hence the need for a larger allowance. ;)
I'm pretty sure the shrunk actually is mandatory, as I have never visited the house of someone who was stationed in Germany that didn't have one consuming an entire room in their house. Throw in a few nutcracker soldiers on the shelves and you're wunderbar! :)
I'm sure other duty stations have their obligatory furniture item as well, hence the need for a larger allowance. ;)
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