Can anyone tell me about Air Force TMO/leaving for COT?

I just did the TMO thing today.

As a second Lt with dependents, we are allowed twelve thousand (yes, thousand) pounds for our move. Trust me - that's a lot. What happens is this: you call a number on the back of your orders and they will tell you the nearest TMO for you (it may or may not be an Air Force Base; when I separated from AD the first time it was actually a Navy base). For me it was Seymour Johnson. I called down there, talked to a SrA (senior airman - an E4), and forwarded her a copy of my orders. She sent me a TMO worksheet, which I filled out and took to her (I had to go to SJAFB anyway to pick up my uniforms from alterations). She checked it, handed me a huge packet of papers, I picked my pack dates (I estimated ten thousand pounds - very generous - they're coming November 2 and 3) and the ship date (November 4). The stuff takes about a week to get to Lackland. When it gets to Lackland, it will go into temporary storage near the base. Each member gets ninety days free storage.

They give you a website you can register on - you can even track your shipment in transit from the web (trust me, this is so much nicer than when I was in - before it was like sending all your stuff out into the Great Ether never to be seen again) and you can find out when it gets to your base.

At any rate, when you get to your base, you schedule a move time online and they come and bring your stuff. AND - if you schedule the time correctly, the company unpacks it for you and hauls off all the trash. I HIGHLY recommend this - you can rearrange later, but they'll UNPACK EVERYTHING FOR YOU and take all the boxes away for you. AWESOME.

It is much less painful now than it used to be - it's brilliant, actually, compared to the old way of doing business, which was a nightmare.

Oh, the TMO "briefing"? It's the SrA/SSgt/whoever explaining the paperwork and the process to you!

I second that! Let them unpack as much as possible! It might seem like a big mess at first, but in the long run you'll be able to get your things put away faster. I didn't have the movers do the unpacking and I regret it. Lesson learned for next time.

Also, anything that is broken is replaced at full replacement value, not just what it is worth at the time it is broken. I filed a claim for some of my broken belongings and estimated the cost to be $350. When the appraiser came out he said that I way underestimated and they gave me $700. I didn't even have to produce any receipts. Granted, they were items that were given to me by family members as gifts, etc. I didn't try and claim a lost 60 inch flat screen. For that, you may have to have a receipt!