Willkommen in Deutschland! Welcome to Germany! If you’ve recently arrived, your head may be spinning from a combination of jetlag and the sheer amount of information coming your way. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Moving overseas is a big change with a lot of moving pieces.
Between the jetlag, sleep-deprived family members and for some, anxious pets, the journey to your new overseas duty station is perhaps not as organized as it ought to be. Ideally, this would never happen, but let’s be real. PCSing to another country is stressful and often times difficult.
For more than 500,000 servicemembers and their families, summertime is synonymous with smells of cardboard and paper, and the sound of packing tape ripping in the air.
Whether you are stationed in Italy or exploring its world-famous sites on vacation, you will need to be prepared to communicate in the event of an emergency. The following phrases will help you speak to the locals when you are trying to say, “I need help!”
When driving in Italy, it is important to not only be aware of traffic laws but also adhere to them, even if it appears that others are not. Many Italian drivers tend to drive aggressively with what seems like little regard for traffic signs and laws.
A variety of factors affect whether or not dental care is available for the family of active-duty service members stationed overseas. These factors include facility location, branch of service, deployments and staffing fluctuations.
European windows don’t usually have screens like we’re used to in the United States. Since we don’t have air conditioning, we have to open the windows more often. That means those flies, mosquitos, bees and other insects have a chance to get in.
PCSing is a major hurdle to jump no matter your age, whether you have done it a thousand times, or it’s your first time leaving home. Things become even more complicated once you go off to college.
As a military kid, moving becomes a state of mind. It’s not unusual or unnatural to finish high school having attended at least two high schools or realize your vernacular has changed based on where you’ve lived. That’s just the life of a military kid.
Thinking back to when I first found out about Value Added Tax (VAT) forms, the first thing that came to mind was, “Now I can buy more stuff!” It didn’t occur to me that it wasn’t the same at every store and that some stores wouldn’t accept them. Oh, the horror!
Imagine you just moved and then find out your partner's deploying. Don't worry, you can handle it, and there's support when you need it. Here are some tips to help you get through this:
• Make new friends (or at least know people you can count on).
• Get out there and explore.
Whether it’s a PCS, TDY or short vacation for a few days or weeks, there are simple techniques that will help you minimize the effects you’ll inevitably feel when exposed to a new culture.
No matter the length of your military career, you probably moved at least once. For most service members leaving the military, either at retirement or at their end of active service separation, a final move at government expense is authorized.
