Who to call, week by week, for your move to JBLM
Pick your report date and a few answers. You get the steps in order, the official guidance behind each one, and the local businesses and base offices to call.
Who and what is moving with you?
17 steps for your move to JBLM. Your answers never leave this page.
As soon as you have orders
Start now
- 1
Call your transportation office to schedule the military move
As soon as you receive your PCS orders
Military OneSource says contacting your local transportation office to schedule the shipment as soon as orders arrive improves your chances of getting the moving dates that work for you.
- 2
Moving yourself? Check your entitlements, then line up local movers
Before you start a full or partial PPM
Military OneSource says it is best to contact your transportation office before a full or partial personally procured move, so you understand all of your entitlements.
- 3
Call the base housing office
As soon as you know you are moving
Call the JBLM Housing Division's Housing Services Office for help finding a rental off post, questions about a lease,...
Source: Joint Base Lewis-McChord Housing Division (home.army.mil)
Who to call
- Military Housing Office (Housing Services Office)(253) 967-3581
- 4
Request child care and call centers near the base
As soon as you know your duty station and tentative arrival date
MilitaryChildCare.com says requesting care then gets you on the waitlist, and suggests requesting several programs and program types, such as a child development center and family child care.
Source: MilitaryChildCare.com, How to Request Child Care
Who to call
- Child Development Center registration (Parent Central Services)(253) 966-2977
- The Children's Courtyard of DuPont(866) 561-3412
- Fun Times Daycare And Pre-school(253) 212-1421
- Wright Choice Child Development Center(253) 582-9514
- 5
Buying a home? Compare VA lenders
Once you have orders, before you shop for a home
VA says lenders offer different interest rates and fees, so shop around for the loan that best meets your needs.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Buying a home with a VA-backed loan
Before you arrive
The weeks before your report date
- 6
Reconfirm your child care request
45 days before the date you need care, if you asked more than 60 days ahead
MilitaryChildCare.com says a request made more than 60 days before you need care must be reconfirmed 45 days before your date care needed.
Source: MilitaryChildCare.com, FAQs
- 7
Talk to a real estate agent
After you are notified of the assignment; buy only once orders are in hand
Military OneSource suggests starting to look at places to live once you know your next assignment, and cautions against permanent decisions, such as buying a home, until you have orders.
Source: Military OneSource, Arranging a Personal Property Shipment
- 8
Renting? Check the lease for a military clause
Before you sign a rental contract
Military OneSource says to make sure the contract has a military clause that lets you break the lease if you are reassigned or deployed.
Source: Military OneSource, On- and Off-Base Housing and Living
- 9
Buying? Book a home inspection before you close
During the purchase, before closing
VA strongly recommends an inspection for major defects before you buy, and notes that a VA appraisal is not the same as an inspection.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Buying a home with a VA-backed loan
- 10
Reserve base lodging
Before you travel
Call this front desk to ask about or book a room at Rainier Inn and Complex or Bronson Hall on Lewis Main, which run as...
Source: Joint Base Lewis-McChord (home.army.mil)
Who to call
- Lodging (Rainier Inn, Lewis Main)(253) 964-0211
- 11
Arrive before your household goods, or line up storage
A day or more before the delivery date
Military OneSource recommends arriving a day or more before your scheduled delivery so your things do not go into storage, since getting a stored shipment delivered again can take up to a few weeks.
- 12
Call the school liaison
Before you choose where to live
Call the School Liaison Program for help choosing a school, moving between districts, homeschool questions and youth...
Source: JBLM Family and MWR Child and Youth Services
Who to call
- School liaison (School Support Services)(253) 967-7195
The week you arrive
Your report week
- 13
Stop at the visitor center for passes
When you first reach the gate
Call or stop here if a guest has no Department of Defense ID and needs a temporary pass to enter. Residents can also...
Source: Joint Base Lewis-McChord (home.army.mil)
Who to call
- Visitor Control Center (Lewis Main)(253) 967-4794
- 14
Clean the new place before the movers deliver
Before the movers arrive at the new home
Military OneSource suggests pre-cleaning the new bathroom and kitchen, and leaving enough time so you are not cleaning around boxes.
- 15
Keep pets safe on moving days
On pack, pickup and delivery days
Military OneSource asks families to make sure pets are secured and out of the way whenever packers and movers are at the home.
- 16
Visit the family readiness center
Your first days on base
At JBLM, Army Community Service goes by the name Armed Forces Community Service. Call for relocation help, financial...
Source: Joint Base Lewis-McChord directory (home.army.mil)
Who to call
- Armed Forces Community Service (Army Community Service)(253) 967-7166
- 17
Update ID cards and DEERS
After you sign in at the new base
Call for questions about getting or renewing a military ID or Common Access Card and about DEERS enrollment. JBLM says...
Source: Joint Base Lewis-McChord (home.army.mil)
Who to call
- ID card office (DEERS and RAPIDS), Lewis Main(253) 967-5065
About this plan
When should I start calling people before a PCS to JBLM?
As soon as you have orders. Call your transportation office to schedule the military move, Moving yourself? Check your entitlements, then line up local movers, Call the base housing office, Request child care and call centers near the base, Buying a home? Compare VA lenders. Each step on this page shows the official guidance it comes from.
Do my answers or my report date get sent anywhere?
No. The plan is built in your browser and your answers stay on your device. Nothing is sent to us or to any business until you choose to call or send a Get Quotes request.
Where do I find BAH and schools for JBLM?
MilitaryLineup covers who to call. BaseReady.app covers what to know, including housing allowance from the official rate files and school districts.