Personal Property Activity for PCS Moves
The Department of Defense established the Personal Property Activity to reform military PCS moves across the armed services. For decades, individual service branches ran a patchwork of joint personal property shipping offices and claims operations under the Defense Personal Property Program.
Military members and families PCSing stateside or overseas now have a central DoD office to manage their household goods shipments, following a formal activation ceremony at Scott Air Force Base in September 2026.
Personal Property Activity for PCS Moves
During the botched privatization effort to manage PCS moves, the DoD created a Permanent Change of Station Joint Task Force to coordinate policies. In early 2026, the department designated the Personal Property Activity as a formal Special Activity headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, a move meant to formally move away from privatization.
This move, in the wake of failed global PCS privatization, is another indicator that putting military operations under private control may be a bad idea. DoD leadership under the current administration (at press time) seems to be learning a valuable lesson the hard way; privatization isn’t always the answer to the military’s problems.
Similar efforts to privatize military family housing have resulted in lawsuits over the years, and the Defense Department’s track record in this area is less than stellar. Will the DoD take any lessons from creating the Personal Property Activity?
Using PPA.mil to Manage Your PCS Move
The Personal Property Activity is now fully responsible for global household goods shipments and storage operations for service members, civilian employees, and families.
There are no more private PCS contractors. To manage a permanent change of station move at ppa.mil, visit the portal after you receive official permanent change of station orders. Follow the site prompts to enter the Defense Personal Property System to submit your official move applications and lock in preferred dates.
If you’re moving personally, download the required weight ticket guidance and expense forms before moving any property. According to the official site, “Service members and their families who need assistance can reach the PPA at PCSCallCenter@mail.mil and 1-833-MIL-MOVE.”
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
