A major shake-up is underway at the Department of War that affects thousands of military families who relocate across the country or globe to serve.
After ending its troubled contract with Home Safe Alliance, the department is moving forward with a new leadership plan to fix the military’s moving system.
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The Department of War announced earlier this week that it aims to restore trust and stability to the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) process.
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Under the leadership of Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, a new joint task force is working to improve the Defense Personal Property Program (DP3). This follows the termination of the contract with Home Safe Alliance earlier this year and the reinstatement of the previous program that helped military families move.
The Home Safe Alliance faced widespread complaints from military families and moving industry professionals about delays, missed moving dates, and lost or stolen furniture.
Jason Anderson, CEO of Veterans PCS, a service that assists veterans and their families with buying or selling homes while giving part of the agent’s commission back to the military family at closing, says the change was desperately needed.
“I think the volume was way too much. In theory, it’s a great idea, right? Having instead of, you know, eight different offices or people that you have to coordinate with, you know, let’s just have one centralized way to do it all. And in theory, it sounds great. In practice, it was a disaster,” Anderson said.
While applauding the government’s efforts to improve the moving process, Anderson noted there is still a lot of work to be done.
“To be honest, people didn’t like the old system, either. And that was a lot of the feedback that we got. They were like, well, we didn’t like the old system, but then the new system with Home Safe Alliance was actually even worse. So then we were excited to go back to the old system that we didn’t like in the first place,” he added.
The PCS Joint Task Force announced a revamped approach this week. The Defense Personal Property Program will continue for at least three years with plans for modernization, market rate studies, and a government-controlled software system.
Anderson expressed confidence that the Department of War will get it right, emphasizing the critical importance of service members knowing their families are secure at home.
The PCS Joint Task Force says the changes will continue through 2028.
Meanwhile, the Department of War will keep gathering feedback from service members and their families to improve the moving experience.