The Short Version
After years of failed household-goods experiments, DoD stood up the Personal Property Activity as a permanent PCS moving command element at Scott Air Force Base. In 2026 it launched PPA.mil as the central playbook and kept expanding call-center support for families mid-move.
- What PPA owns: Oversight of household goods quality, POV shipments, storage missions, industry performance, and escalation support.
- What you still do in DPS: Book dates, track legs, and manage the shipment record.
- What did not vanish: Weight limits, prohibited items, claims clocks, and peak-season scarcity.
Why This Exists
Families already know the failure modes: smashed furniture, missing boxes, no-show crews, and call centers that bounce you between contractors. Temporary task forces were not enough. PPA is the attempt to put one accountable organization behind the joint-force moving system.
Treat that as better escalation, not a guarantee. You still need photos, inventories, and a paper trail.
A Practical PCS Checklist Under PPA
- The week orders drop, log into DPS and request dates even if they are soft.
- Read the PPA.mil checklists for HHG, PPM/DITY, POV, and overseas quirks that apply to your route.
- Photograph high-value items and serial numbers before pack-out.
- Build an unaccompanied bag for uniforms, orders, meds, chargers, and kid sleep gear.
- If the shipment goes silent, start with the local personal property office, then escalate to 833-MIL-MOVE with your DPS shipment number ready.
Run the money side in parallel with the PCS planner, the move checklist, and the out-of-pocket expenses guide.
When Lodging and HHG Collide
If international shipping restrictions leave you in a hotel after report date, ask finance about the September 2026 Temporary Lodging Expense path that can stretch toward 60 days. Details: TLE 60-day extension.
PPA can help push the shipment. Finance owns the lodging entitlement. Do not expect one office to speak for the other.
What To Do Next
- Bookmark PPA.mil and save 833-MIL-MOVE in your phone before pack-out week.
- Brief the spouse on DPS login and shipment numbers so one TDY does not freeze the move.
- If you are also buying or selling, get a PCS-fluent agent on the calendar before the truck shows up.
A permanent move agency is progress. Your photos, dates, and escalation notes are still the difference between a claim that pays and a claim that dies.
