Relocation Assistance

Your Military and Family Support Center provides relocation assistance to help make PCS moves as smooth as possible. Resources include:

• PCS planning: Most relocation assistance programs offer consultations to help you with the moving process. If this your first military move, your first time moving overseas or you have challenging or complex circumstances contact your installation Relocation Assistance Program as soon as possible for support.
• Plan My Move: An online Defense Department relocation tool that provides you with customizable checklists and links to helpful resources for the tasks ahead.
• Military OneSource: A website and call center that offer 24/7 support for moving information and resources. Learn more about PCS basics. For comprehensive moving resources and information, including Defense Personal Property log in details, visit Moving Your Personal Property.
• Workshops and briefings: Workshops vary by location. You may find classes on housing options, moving with children, moving with pets and more.
• Predeparture briefings: These sessions provide essential information about your move and may be required for some populations.
• Special needs: If you have a child or family member enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program, contact your installation EFMP-Family Support office to assist you.
• Settling-in services: Look for welcome programs or local area tours that may be offered. Overseas services may include introductory language classes and cultural awareness activities.
• Foreign-born spouse support: Assistance includes information and referral to resources such as immigration and naturalization.
• Emergency assistance: Sometime emergencies occur while moving. The Military and Family Support Center has the resources to provide emergency financial assistance, as well as information and referrals.
• Authorized housing flexibility options: Eligible service members with PCS orders may be entitled to flexibilities such as extended stays in government housing and early housing eligibility. Contact your military personnel office for more information.
• Spouse licensure reimbursement: Your service branch may reimburse spouses up to $1,000 for relicensure and certification costs resulting from relocations or PCS moves. See this Military OneSource article Transferring Your Professional License for more information and specific service branch policies.

The Army Community Service Relocation Readiness Program offers a variety of relocation assistance services and resources to eliminate the stress associated with relocating. Soldiers processing into Fort Leonard Wood attend a Community Orientation brief as part of their in processing through Directorate of Human Resource. The orientation is for newcomers arriving to the installation. It is held every Thursday at USO Building 805, starting at 8:00 a.m.

Also available is the Lending Closet, which has basic household items available for soldiers with families arriving or leaving the installation while their household goods are in transit. Please bring a copy of assignment orders and an identification card. Our Hearts Apart Program provides resources to assist soldiers and their families during a geographical separation or during deployments. For more information, call the Relocation Assistance Program at 573-596-2601 or DSN 312-581-2601.

Installation Specific Information

Upon arrival of Army personnel to Fort Leonard Wood, your first stop will most likely be the Soldier Service Center (Dillard Hall, Building 470). The center is designed as a one-stop in/out processing center. Listed below, you will find room numbers for the offices you may need.

Army Community Service is located at the Mel Carnahan Army Community Service Center, Building 486. 573-596-2601.

A Community (Newcomer's) Orientation is held every Thursday at Building 805 USO, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 pm. Designed for newly arrived Soldiers, Marines, sailors, airmen, their spouses and new civilian personnel. All military (colonel and below) who have recently arrived are required to attend. A Community Information Fair is held from 11:00am-12:00pm and arriving Family members are encouraged to attend.

The Child Development Center can be utilized during the orientation. Reservations must be made in advance and paid upon pickup. Some registration paperwork must be filled out in the office, Building 470, Room 1126, prior to the orientation. A current immunization record must be presented at the time of registration. If your child has special needs, it is important that we are informed in advance to ensure that the CDC, or School Age Services, is able to provide adequate care for your child. Parents are required to complete a child/family orientation at the CDC or SAS prior to utilizing hourly child care.

The Fort Leonard Wood Relocation Readiness Office offers the following services: