What to know about updated travel rules as the 2020 military moving season picks up
The military is gradually lifting its travel restrictions, meaning more families will start to move forward with permanent change of station moves. (Marine Corps)
When the U.S. started seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases in early spring, military movement — like most of the country — pretty much ground to a halt.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper issued a stop movement order, which took effect March 16, banning all nonessential government-funded travel for military families.
But as more and more states lift stay-at-home orders, the Department of Defense also is easing restrictions. As of May 26, under the latest changes to the military’s stop movement order, things like permanent change of station moves and put-on-hold training exercises are now starting to move forward.
“We’ve now put forth a road map, if you will, for installations to start lifting the travel restrictions,” said Lernes Hebert, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military personnel policy, in The Spouse Angle’s most recent episode, “What to Know As the Military Travel Ban Eases.”
In the case of a PCS, that way forward includes looking at installations’ local stay-at-home guidelines and other COVID-19 precautions in a family’s current location, as well as their destination.
Installations also must have seen a 14-day downward trend in the number of coronavirus cases and individuals presenting symptoms.
“Moves can be challenging enough but moving someone into a location where everybody is still locked down or stay at home orders are still in place can be especially challenging, and we simply don’t want to put families in that situation,” Hebert said.
These locations meet the conditions to lift travel restrictions as of June 8, subject to the assessment of conditions at individual military installations within these areas. (Department of Defense)
Under the original stop movement order that had been in place since mid-March, military movement saw 40 percent of what is typical for this time, Hebert said. Some PCS moves already have been allowed to proceed: for example, if they were considered mission essential, or in cases of humanitarian needs or family hardship.
Going forward, the military also will be evaluating whether there is adequate child care and hospital capacity at a family’s gaining location before allowing them to PCS. Additionally, schools’ plans for reopening this fall will also play into the decision. Families with school-age children may be given priority to move this summer before the school year starts or the chance to stay put a while longer to lessen the disruption on their children’s education, stated a previous iteration of the stop movement order.
The latest policy nixes the previous June 30 deadline to restart military travel, moving to a more gradual approach based on conditions in local commands.
The Defense Department will continue to update a list of areas that are lifting travel restrictions on its website.