Getting ready to PCS can mean a whirlwind of activity. There are family issues, housing issues, job issues and more. But one thing many people overlook is the safekeeping and transportation of their important documents.
To make it easier for service members and their families to keep track of and organize their important documents, the Association of Military Banks of America, or AMBA, is offering the free MILDOCS program, developed by military families and financial experts.
MILDOCS helps military families know which documents are important and gives suggestions on how to create a collection of those important records either online or in a hard-copy format.
For instance, you probably know that children's vaccination records are an important thing to have at your fingertips, especially when enrolling them in a new school. Many states won't allow children to attend school without the required immunizations.
Did you know that having your pet's shot records may be just as important? Many airlines and kennels won't allow a pet to be transported or boarded without proof of vaccinations.
AMBA recommends keeping physical and online copies of all your important documents, as well as a password-protected flash drive with all of your important online login information and passwords in case of emergency. This is important not just when PCSing, but also can be very important if you are assigned to a duty station where you may be evacuated on short notice. Often, the important paperwork isn't as important as many other things when a storm is threatening to destroy your home and separate your family.
Having a ready-made transfer and evacuation package is worth the time and effort, especially if you have ever had to find that important tax document, graduation record or bank account number. If you are thinking about buying a home at your new duty station, you will find having several years worth of financial documents at your fingertips a godsend when applying for a mortgage.
MILDOCS lists several suggestions on what documents are important, how to store and safeguard them and more. Currently, MILDOCS has easy to use checklists containing suggestions of several types of important documents you need to maintain, including:
- Identification
- Personal Financials
- Personal Property
- Real Property
- Vehicles
- Insurance
- Medical & Dental Records
- Legal Documents
- School Records
- Pet Records
Check out the MILDOCS website now and get everything you need ready for that PCS. You will have one less thing to worry about leading up to moving day and make adjusting to that new duty station as painless as possible.
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