How Can I Change My Duty Station In The Army

Equally your time is nearing an terminate at your electric current duty station and your rotation appointment is budgeted, you are probably getting extremely anxious waiting to hear where your next assignment might be.

Yous want to set up, perhaps even get-go packing, but you lot don't even know what to save for immediate apply at your next duty station or what to let the movers pack.

Friends and family ask you lot every mean solar day if you know where you are going.

How do you answer their questions when you, yourself, have a million questions running through your mind?

"Will information technology exist hot or cold where I'grand going adjacent?"

"What volition the housing exist like? Is there space on base of operations or will I be looking for a habitation in town?"

"How am I supposed to enroll my kid in school if I don't even know where I'1000 going?"

"Nosotros are supposed to take our PCS Motility in a couple of months and take not heard anything. Nosotros are withal PCSing, Right?!"

Your neighbors and peers are getting assignments left and right. Every time you hear of a new assignment drop, you tin can't help but judge their next base.

Regardless if information technology's a dream location or ane that you would like to avoid, there is a sense of jealousy for the fact that they at least KNOW where they're going.

That'southward when it happens. You get the phone phone call, email, tap on the shoulder, whatsoever it is, that you have been (im)patiently waiting for.

"Congratulations! Your adjacent consignment is ___________." Is this a joke? In that location's actually a military installation in that location?

I've only ever heard information technology referred to as the location that y'all spend your whole career trying to avoid. I've heard others fifty-fifty console themselves afterward receiving a less-than-platonic assignment by saying, "well at least it'southward not ___________."

What practice yous exercise in this situation?

I'll tell you lot what you do.

You lot concord your head high and promise for the best. Chances are, you just have a split second to figure out your emotions earlier people start looking for your reaction.

And approximate what? Your reaction to this news is what sets the stage for the residue of your movement.

So how do yous stay positive when you've but ever heard negative things virtually this duty station?

ane. Forget Your Past Wants

Anybody puts together a "dream sheet" of assignments, whether really written downwardly on newspaper or but in your head. Yous imagine all of the amazing places the military could ship y'all.

It'south time to let get of all of that.

Your past wishes and desires for assignments don't matter anymore (at least non right now). Turn your new assignment into your offset choice and make yourself believe that information technology'southward what you lot take wanted all along.

Our very first assignment drop was a public event. My husband stood in front of a room full of people equally he was told where he would be going adjacent, while I saturday in the audience.

We were waiting to hear whether we would exist living on the East Coast or W Coast. When my husband was told that nosotros would be moving across the globe to a remote island, my world was rocked.

Everyone around me immediately turned to see my reaction, mouths wide open up. Someone asked, "Is that what you wanted?" I was numb and don't even know how I managed to get whatever words out, but I responded, "It is at present."

I have tried my best to keep this mentality EVERY time we move. I try to get excited for any assignment and research everything I tin well-nigh our new "dwelling." It's non always easy, especially when you lot are leaving a fantastic identify for the unknown, but information technology sure makes moving a lot easier when y'all're looking forward to the place you lot're going.

2. Go Straight to the Source

Most of what you accept probably heard nearly this new location is hearsay. Y'all're likely hearing rumors from people that accept NEVER been in that location before. Before you get all riled up, endeavor speaking to people that have been in that location recently, or better however, are currently there.

1 of the best resources I have found for gathering intel on a new duty station has been social media. But type your new duty station into the search bar of Facebook and yous will probably notice a number of informational pages.

Join the local classifieds pages, spouse pages and activity pages. Hither you will be able to ask whatsoever questions you might have and receive upwardly-to-date answers.

3. Debunk the Rumors

Each duty station has a number of rumors associated with it, whether good or bad. Try to figure out why your new consignment has a bad rap and focus on the positives. Hither is an example for our current assignment:

"There is naught to do."

"Remember about all of the family fourth dimension we volition accept. We can become camping ground, hiking, horseback riding, cheque out local farms and attend rodeos."

There will always be something to do and places to explore, but y'all have to actively search for them.

"It'southward in the heart of nowhere."

"We can do route trips on the weekend and see parts of the land we've never seen before."

Attempt to find the silver lining to each of the negative statements. Maybe even make it a challenge to dispel each of the rumors during your time at your new location.

4. It's Simply Temporary

Do you recollect how apace your last assignment flew by?

Be prepared for that to happen again.

Iii years (plus or minus) is not a lot of time in the grand scheme of things. Make the most of your assignment and get to know a new function of the country (or globe!) in the short time that you are there.

Brand a betoken to visit that local landmark, attend the parade downtown, come across the land park and but go for a drive.

Immerse yourself in the local culture and get to know your new home. If you're non careful, it might be time to motion once again before yous even got to know this new town.

5. Remember that Attitude Is a Choice

Y'all, and but you, can decide how you lot experience about something. Yous can make the option to be excited nigh a new assignment, or you tin can cull to dread every minute of it.

Don't be tempted past those around you trying to bring you lot down.

When you lot tell people where you are going next, you lot might hear, "I'm sorry" or, "Maybe you lot'll get a proficient assignment side by side time."

They might be trying to be sympathetic, only in a sense they are peer pressuring you into feeling lousy about your assignment.

You still have a choice. You tin even so choose to expect frontwards to your movement. You tin can still choose to stay positive.

Finally, appreciate the fact that you accept been given the opportunity to experience a place that you about likely would non take lived had it not been for the military machine.

I am often told by civilians that I am "so lucky" to move every three years and travel the earth. Even though PCSing most definitely has its ups and its downs, I do endeavor to remind myself that we Really ARE lucky.

I have made friends all over the globe.

I have artifacts from each of our assignments proudly displayed in our home.

I have lived in the Deep Due south, the West Coast, a foreign country and the Great Plains.

I have a greater agreement and appreciation for new people that I meet.