Arriving in Germany

Flight: No matter what time your flight is be sure to try and sleep on the plane as much as you can. I know there may be kids or movies playing, just try to block it out and sleep! This will help your transition with the time change once you do arrive in Germany. Forcing yourself into the new time zone will be the best for adjusting. Try not to take naps once you get to your location. Go to bed and wake up at normal times. Set an alarm to make yourself get up! The more you sleep or take napes the longer it will take to adjust and you will start to feel miserable. So do yourself a favor and try to adjust right away! A lot of people are confused as to what happens once you land in Germany. You will be sent through customs, which is really them just checking passports. You will then be sent to pick up your luggage. Be prepared to hurry up and wait as the Army loves to fulfill that statement. We waited for a while to get our luggage, one because there is so much luggage coming off the plane and two, it's not a typical airport where they have conveyer belts moving all the luggage. The Airmen themselves are moving it off the plane. Once you have received your luggage you may be sitting around for a while. I believe we waited about an hour because the service members had to "check in" or something... I really don't know what they did but it took forever. Buses will then arrive at Ramstein and you will be bused to your location. Our bus ride was about 4 hours. Obviously that will change depending on where you are headed. Just take some time to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Once you get there hopefully you have a sponsor there to help you out and welcome you to your new home :)

                    

                      This was my first glimpse of Germany!

 

Appliances to bring or leave in the United States

This information about what appliances will and won't work is probably the most sought after info when PCSing to Germany! So here it is, all laid out and explained so please read, re-read and share this information. I wish we had known all this before we moved here!

 

                             Things to leave in the states: 

Washer, dryer, and refrigerator. The Army will provide all of these for the duration of your stay in Germany. You also do not need to bring any clocks that plug in. The hertz system is different in Germany and your clock will lose 10 minutes every hour.

 

                                      Things to bring: 

Lamps, TV, computers, kitchen appliances, game systems. Some of these items may be duel voltage meaning they can run on 110 or 220 V.  Look at the bottom of the appliance and it should say 110-220V. Some of them may say 100-240V, these items will definitely work in Germany. Yes the plug is different and will not fit in a German outlet but they have adapters. All you do is plug your item into the adapter which will then fit the German outlet.  All lamps will work even if they only say 110V. All you have to do is use an adapter and change the light bulb to a 220 bulb. Don’t try a 110V light bulb, it will blow. This means you can use your Scentsy! You just need to find a consultant over here that sells 220V bulbs! Most computers are duel voltage. If the bottom of your computer doesn’t say look at the actual charger, if it says 110-220 then your computer will work with an adapter. It is the same with phone and camera chargers. Most TV's are duel voltage. We made the mistake of misreading the information about TV's. We read that the operating system would not work in Germany, what is really means is that we can not watch German DVD's. The TV itself will still work but the European operating system for media is different. So bring your TV! We had to buy another one once we got here. 

                               Items that are only 110V: 

These items can still be used. You need to look at the bottom of the appliance to see how many watts it runs on. With these items you can use a transformer. A transformer changes the 220V to 110V. If you have an appliance that runs 550 watts you will need a transformer that is slightly bigger (600W) so it will cover the initial surge when turning the appliance on. If you have a 1,000W transformer and only have a 330W appliance plugged in, it will still use 1,000W no matter what and will run up your electric bill. So use only what you need.  

 

                            Appliances to think about: 

Appliances that use heat typically run very high in watts (crock-pot, iron, griddle, coffee maker, hair straighter). These items can be used but will take a large transformer. The bigger the transformer the more expensive it will be. It will be easier to either go without or find a German version of some of these items once you get here. 

 

                                   Items with motors: 

Stand mixer, hair dryer, blender, food processor: These are the only items I’m not 100% about. I know the hertz system is different in Germany and these items can be used with a transformer but over time the motor will get used to running on a different hertz system and once you bring it back to the states it won’t convert back and you can blow the motor.

 

                          Things we bought in Germany: 

We were not given all this information so we brought everything we owned. We ended up buying a German hair dryer, hair straighter, iron, and microwave. An American microwave would work but would take a very large transformer so I would not bring it.

 

Tip: Write down all your appliances BEFORE you pack HHG along with the voltage and watts. We had to wait until our HHG arrived to know what size transformers we would need.  

 

 

Baggage allowance and things to bring on the plane

         Flying overseas for a PCS allows you to have a larger weight allowance for your baggage than a typical commercial flight. Most airlines allow you to have 50 pounds, a PCS flight allows you to have 70 pounds per bag. Each family member can have 2 checked bags, one carry on and one personal bag such as a purse.  So yes, if you have a family of 5 you can have 10 checked bags and 5 carry on bags. Remember you and your kids have to carry all of this into the airport and get it all back once you land. When my husband and I flew to Germany we had 4 checked bags and 2 carry on bags and it was a lot to keep up with.  I had 2 suitcases, one weighed right at 70 pounds and the other 71, oops haha, they let me go without a fee for that extra pound! But all that weight was very difficult for me to lug around. It may seem like you want to take as much as you can but remember, the hotels on post have washers and dryers. You can wash and re-wear clothes. The hotels also may not have much space for tons of bags. Just be aware that you may be cramped in a hotel for 2 weeks before you move into a house.

          Make sure you look up the temperatures for your arrival time and wear clothes on the plane that are comfortable but fit the conditions when you arrive. We flew out in June and I wore jeans, a short sleeve shirt, and flip flops, but my Mom kept saying "won't your feet get cold on the plane?" Nope, because I brought socks! I don't like having to tie and untie shoes so flips flops were the obvious choice for me to be comfortable! I also had a fleece jacket and neck pillow. And it did get chilly on the plane but they also had blankets for everyone. Obviously bring things to do on the plane, books, Ipods, mini DVD player for kids, handheld games (make sure the sound can be turned off). Our flight did play movies but I had Sudoku, crossword books and a cross stitch project to keep myself busy. They will allow knitting/crocheting/cross stitch needles on the plane. They did ask if I had any sharp objects in my carry on, and I did have scissors but I just said no. If I was caught I would have said sorry I forgot and thrown them out. 

         Depending on the time of your flight they will serve meals. Our flight left at 1830 so we had dinner served and a “snack” which was a full meal with a sandwich later in the wee hours of the morning. If you are picky about what you eat then bring your own snacks. And if you have children make sure they have toys and snacks to be sure they stay happy on the seven hour flight.  Don't be afraid to get up and walk around. It's actually good for your circulation to stand up every now and then. If you have children have them walk around and stretch so they don't get too restless.

        Just remember that it's only a few hours and next thing you know you'll be in Deutschland!

                    Dinner on our flight! And it was actually very good!

Shipping your POV

             If you plan to ship your car without your Sponsor make sure you have a POA. When you plan the shipping of your HHG and UB the transportation should give you a paper with all the VPC (vehicle port center) shipping locations. You are responsible for getting everything with your car done. The Army does nothing except give you locations and possibly estimated times of shipping. The military only ships one car, so pick wisely because the German roads are small and it may be a 30-minute drive to get to post;  you’ll want a car that gets good mileage (for all the traveling you will be doing as well!). Before you ship your car, call your insurance company and have them switch your insurance to a Germany plan. Our car insurance is through USAA and they know exactly what to do for this. You will then have a US insurance card and a German insurance card. The title of the car has to be in both names, Sponsor and spouse. Make sure it says John Smith “OR” Katie Smith. If it has the word “AND” between both names then you both have to be present to ship the car! If neither of you can ship the car you can get a POA for someone else to ship it such as a family member or friend. If there is a lien holder you will need to have a letter from the lien holder authorizing the exportation of your vehicle. Request that it be on an official company letterhead. If you are leasing your car, make sure you have a letter from the lease holder authorizing the exportation of your vehicle on an official company letterhead. They will tell you to have a valid email address, notification address, emergency contact (state-side) and destination address. Do not worry about the destination address, the VPC will know it when they look at your orders.

Bring with you to the VPC:

• Proof of entitlement (with both names on title)
• Proof of Identity

               Service member – Military ID
               Spouse – Military or Government ID
               Agent (lien or lease holder) – Official government or state ID AND                        copy of service member’s military ID

• Proof of ownership: registration AND title
• Lien holder authorization letter
• Lease holder authorization letter
• Power of attorney

             Make sure the car is very clean, inside and out! If you have to drive more than twenty minutes to get to the port, plan on washing your car again once you get there.  You can only have ¼ tank of gas. If you have more than ¼ when you get there, drive around and waste the gas. They will charge you $20 to drain the gas if it’s over the limit. Be sure you have a full set of keys (ignition, doors, trunk, gas cap, and wheel locks). The form we received with the VPC locations says you can have the title and/or registration; that is NOT true. You need both the title AND registration. All compartments in the car need to be clean and empty. There are a few items that may be left in the car. These items will be boxed in the trunk:

• Hand tools (not to exceed $200 in value)
• Jacks, tire irons, fire extinguishers and jumper cables
• One spare tire and two snow tires
• Portable cribs, children’s car seats, strollers
• First aid kit, warning triangles

           Your car will then go through an inspection. They check to make sure it’s clean and they mark all dents and scratches. Before you sign anything double check what their abbreviations mean. If you don’t agree with their markings don’t be afraid to argue it! It is your car and you have the right to do that! Shipping our car took exactly seven weeks. They typically tell you to plan on 6-8 weeks for your car to arrive in Germany. 

Booking your flight

          The process of booking your flight can be very trying. Before you even walk into the travel office take a deep breath and be prepared for something to go wrong or not pan out like you had hoped. This will just better prepare you for a little hick-up in the plans. Take a look at your Sponsor’s orders.  On the last page there may be what they call an availability date. This date means the sponsor cannot report to their new duty station BEFORE that date. If you try to book a flight before that date they will not approve it. Not knowing what an availability date was, we tried booking our flight to arrive early and it was not allowed. If there is an availability date read ALL the tiny stuff about travel, leave, dependents and all that other random stuff to see if it says the sponsor is authorized to report early. Ours happened to have this written in it but the travel office people didn't read that, we just so happened to find it later. If the orders don't authorize early arrival then the date can be changed. The Sponsor will need to contact the location of where the orders were written. Our orders were issued from Ft. Knox. This is listed at the top of the orders. See, knowing and understanding orders is coming in handy now, right?  

                Flights overseas typically leave twice a week and the Sponsor cannot report on a weekend. You will most likely fly Patriot Express which is only for Military. When I found this out I didn't think there could be that many military families moving to Germany the same day we do. Was that a joke or what!? The plane was slam full. So don't worry, it's not like you're a random family carrying 1600 bags of luggage and 2 crates with dogs! It is also important to verify that concurrent travel is authorized, meaning the family can travel with the Sponsor. The military considers this to be a privilege, not a right. I was told this multiple times! There are many families who arrive to Germany after the sponsor. You can also get this changed. You will need to contact the location that issued the orders. If you come across any of these problems the travel people should be able to send you in the right direction to get things fixed but don't count on that 100%. Be prepared to go to one office and get stared at because they don't know who and why you were sent there. The travel office will also try to book your flight from the airport closest to where you are currently located. They tried so hard to make us fly out of St. Louis when all of our family is in the south. It makes sense that most families will visit family before flying overseas and may want to fly out of a different location. This can be done but you will pay out of pocket up front for the flights you want. If you want a flight booked from a different location, the travel office still has to book them, but you will have pay for it. If the travel office does not book them you will have no chance of being reimbursed. We flew from Charlotte, NC to Atlanta, GA then to Baltimore where the Patriot Express flies out of. So we had to pay for the flight from Charlotte to Baltimore. The Baltimore to Germany leg of the flight was already covered by the Army. To get reimbursed for a flight you pay for can be a little tricky. There is some form, which I can't remember what it is, that you have to have saying you were allowed to fly out of a different location. This will be brought to the finance office when you get to your final location for reimbursement of travel. Also be sure to let them know if you have any pets. There are limited spots for flying pets over so be sure to get your reservation for that as soon as possible! 

Shipping HHG and UB

         The next step is to plan when you want your household goods (HHG) to be shipped. This is done through the transportation office, again, be sure to have a copy of orders and POA if your Sponsor is not with you. I wasn't allowed to even make an appointment with transportation without my POA.  Planning this can be a little frustrating and confusing since the time of shipping can and will vary. It really depends on the time of year you are PCSing.  The sooner you ship your HHG, the less time you have to live without them here in Germany.  My husband and I flew out at the end of June, right in the middle of PCS season. We had our HHG packed on May 2^nd and they arrived in Germany June 15^th, which meant it took a little over 10 weeks to arrive. We were able to send our HHG so early that it arrived in Germany before we did! You will also ship unaccompanied baggage (UB), which is a small shipment of items that you may deem as necessities (sheets, towels, pots, pans, extra clothes, etc) to use before you HHG arrive. We packed our UB on May 18^th and they arrived in Germany on June 18^th, taking just over four weeks. The UB is FedEx’d over to make sure it gets here quick. Many families arrive in Germany and have another few weeks to wait for their HHG to arrive. This UB should hold you over until you get everything! Unfortunately bad things can and do happen. We know a family that arrived to Germany the same day we did and their UB has been lost. I'm not sure how that happens but it can. Just be prepared for everything and try not to stress, they are only material things. Just remember to pack in your suitcase things that you have to have. 

           There is a weight limit for HHG and UB but all military gear (uniforms, TA-50, books, paperwork, etc) does not count towards the overall weight. Set those items aside when HHG or UB are being packed and remind the packers that it is military gear. Our packers just estimated the weight and documented it because they packed other items with Army gear. They don't actually weigh the exact amount, at least they didn't for us. Weight limits are set by the number of dependents and the sponsors rank.   

            Be patient when it comes to HHG arriving in Germany. If you get there and your HHG have not arrived or you have to wait a few weeks, the Army will provide temporary furniture that they will then pick up once your HHG do arrive. When your HHG and UB are actually being packed, don’t be afraid to tell the movers what to do, but be nice so they take care of you stuff. If you feel like something isn’t packed well enough ask them to repack it or wrap it better. I had to ask our movers to re-wrap all my nutcrackers and Christmas ornaments. They wanted to leave them as is and just wrap my plastic tub in brown paper. They might give you dirty looks, as mine did, because they don't want to do extra work but it is your stuff! You have the right to make them do their job the right way! While they are packing, they are also tagging everything and writing it on an inventory sheet. Keep an eye on that sheet and notice what all their abbreviations mean. If you have a new piece of furniture and it has SC written next to it that means it’s scratched. Have them show you the scratches and if it’s not right make them change it. They will mark scratched, dented, and chipped next to everything to cover their rears! The movers are also supposed to have a specific list of high value items. I did not know this when they packed our HHG, I later learned when UB was packed that they should always have a high value items list. The items on the high value list have to be signed for once they are delivered. I would advise that you write down and take pictures of all your high value items before the movers arrive to begin packing. Once all your HHG or UB are packed, ask for the seals that go on the crates, they look like bumper stickers. Our movers for HHG never sealed our crates. But it was our first PCS and I've since learned my lesson. Sign the seals in permanent marker so when you receive your crates you will know if they were broken into. Just remember to be patient. I know it can get stressful to hand over everything you own for someone else to ship across the ocean.

No Fee Passport

            Once you get approved travel for all family members you need to get the paperwork started for your “No Fee” passport. Yes, this is different than a tourist passport and yes, you need both! If you already have a tourist passport that's great, you will use that one to travel! However, you still have to get your “No Fee” passport from the travel office! This special type of passport is required for travel on official military orders only, such as a PCS. Please be aware that using the “No Fee” passport is NOT AUTHORIZED for international travel; you will have to use your standard tourist passport for non-official travel. Go by your local travel office one day and ask for information about the “No Fee” passport; they should give you a form to fill out for each dependent. Ask if you need to make an appointment when you come back or if they allow walk-ins, which is what the FLW office told me. When you go back with all your paperwork filled out, don't forget a copy of your Sponsor’s orders, they will take your photo for the passport, at least the FLW office did. You might want to ask before you show up assuming they will do this. To get the passports processed it can take up to six to eight weeks. This is why it’s important to get started on it as soon as possible. When the passports are finished they may not contact you to let you know they have been completed. Keep an eye on the calendar and call them if you haven’t heard anything. Ask if your passport will be mailed to you, it most likely will not be and you'll have to pick it up from the travel office. The travel office I went through did not tell me anything. I thought it just hadn't arrived and it had already been sitting in the office for 3 weeks.
                Remember, this no-fee passport will only be used when you PCS to Germany and when you PCS back to the states. I highly recommend you start the process for your tourist passport if you don't already have one. If you plan to travel outside of Germany once you get here you will definitely need it. Not every country will check but just in case you want to be sure to have it. If you have a baby you still need to get them a passport, there are issues with child smuggling over the boarders here. If you go to Austria and drive through the boarder and your baby does not have a passport they will assume you are stealing the baby and trying to smuggle it back into Germany. You will get thrown in jail with very high fines! Be sure you get your tourist passport for traveling. 

OCONUS screening and EFMP

              Before you can plan any portion of your move, all dependents must be approved for travel, meaning they are allowed to move with the sponsor overseas. You will need to schedule an appointment to have an OCONUS screening, mine was at the Fort Leonard Wood hospital in the clinic side. This is a physical that is required for all family members. You will need to provide a hard copy of any exams administered in the past 12 months. I had never had an exam from the Army so I had a few more papers to fill out but it was quick and painless. You will learn that there is a form for everything in your Army life, this screening is form DA 5888. The second your sponsor comes home and says you need to get something done, your first question should be "and what form do I need for that?"
                     You will also need to enroll family member(s) in EFMP (exceptional family member program). The objective of EFMP is to assess, document, and code the special education and medical needs of eligible family members and forward these coded needs to the military personnel for consideration during the assignment process. The purpose of the screening is to identify family members with any medical, educational or mental health needs that may not be available in certain overseas areas (This information was found from the Womack Army Medical Center website under EFMP). Enrollment in EFMP can unfortunately change the outcome of possibly moving overseas. If anyone in the family needs a specialty doctor, there has to be one available where you are headed or they will deny travel. If you have a family member that needs to be enrolled in EFMP there are a lot of forms and screenings that need to be done. Be sure to start this process as soon as you can! Here is a website with a little more detailed information. The process can still change depending on where you are stationed. Once everyone is approved for travel you can continue with the PCS process which will be your passport!

OCONUS screening info: http://www.wamc.amedd.army.mil/patients/deptservices/efmp/Pages/oconusclearance.aspx