Troops at 14 bases to begin testing new approach to military moves

Troops at 14 installations will soon try out a new system for shipping their belongings to their next home, under a program launched Monday to fix longstanding problems with military moves.

About 200 service members will move their household goods over the next four months under a new contract that centralizes shipping under a single manager, said Andy Dawson, director of the Defense Personal Property Management Office at U.S. Transportation Command.

The initiative will begin with up to 50 shipments a month, from April through July, in five areas: Norfolk, Va.; Jacksonville, N.C.; Seattle/Tacoma, Wash.; Camp Pendleton, Calif. and San Diego, Calif.

“We’re just excited to get the transformation underway,” Dawson told Military Times in an interview Tuesday. “It’s very exciting to be part of something this significant that will ultimately impact the quality of life of every single service member, the Coast Guard personnel, and family member, since moving is such an integral part of the military way of life.”