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

The Little Greek · Sep 24, 2009

Let me be the first to introduce you to your new way of life! I don't in any way mean that to be negative, I just mean that things happen in their own time in the AF and it usually isn't as fast as I like things to happen. You sound a lot like me--an organized pre-planner. I had to learn to let go of that in COT.

I don't think I got my orders until a week prior to leaving for COT. Unfortunately you can't arrange anything with TMO until you have your orders. See the catch-22 starting?

Try not to be too hard on your recruiter. It may seem to you like they are being vague, but things really do change quickly in the AF. They might be afraid to give you a solid answer on anything for fear of deadlines not being met, etc. You wouldn't believe how many people have to sign off on what might seem to be the smallest detail in paperwork. Heaven forbid that paperwork gets lost and the process starts all over....you get the idea.

My best advice to you is to get things together the best you can now. Once the ball gets rolling everything happens very quickly!

NurseJessi · Sep 24, 2009

Thanks, that really does help. Can you tell me more about TMO? And once you get your orders, what all needs to be done? Obviously travel arrangements, but isn't that up to the recruiter? Worst case scenario, if I was out of the country when I got my orders, a week before my COT date, how screwed would I be even if all my stuff was already packed up and ready to go? lol!

I understand what you're saying about the recruiter. He's already lost a set of my transcripts though. Almost two, but he magically found the second set when I told him I had a dated receipt. It's telling when the people at MEPS see your paperwork and say, "who is your recruiter?" and then roll their eyes and shake their heads knowingly when they are told his name. I'm doing my best to be patient and proactive though. I'll be relieved to get selected (hopefully!) and finally make it through to COT, whenever it happens!

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Sep 24, 2009

On the back of your orders (I got mine about ten days ago and I leave for COT in October) there are instructions for both handling your travel arrangements and how to contact TMO. TMO will then help you work out the how/when/where of the movers coming to pack up your stuff for shipment. (I say "help" - what actually happens is TMO will tell you when they can come - none of the dates will be convenient or one you really want - and you'll take one because you have to.) :)

Not trying to be negative - it just seems that that is what always happens.

If TMO can only come on X day, and that day is when you want to make your plans, you'll have to do the TMO thing and work out another arrangement with your sister. It sucks but as Greek said - welcome to the wonderful world of the Feds... :)

jentrump29 · Sep 29, 2009

I'm now all of a sudden very thankful for all the stuff my parents had to put up with every time we PCSed while I was growing up! Do people ever move into base housing before COT? I'm guessing I already know the answer to this question, but thought I'd ask anyways. I'm a planner too...I know that's going to have to change!!

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2009

No, you won't move into base housing before COT, but you can contact your base and get on the waiting list (if there is one). I'm not going to live on base at Lackland, but I know someone who's going to be in our COT class who's already contacted his base about housing, so I know you can go ahead and do that if you're married and plan to live on base.

And I know how you feel - I was raised military and I've been AD before, but I've never really moved (I think moving with dependents is different than when you're moving yourself), and it really is a pain - even when you're not responsible for the actual move!

Spencer2002 · Sep 30, 2009

my dad worked in it in the air force, underground, top secret and we only moved once. i never lived on base and went to public school but i spent almost every summer at the officer’s pool :)

i swore in last week monday and i'm still waiting for my official orders. how long will that take. i still have not been contacted by my sponsor???

The Little Greek · Sep 30, 2009

my dad worked in it in the air force, underground, top secret and we only moved once. i never lived on base and went to public school but i spent almost every summer at the officer's pool :)
i swore in last week monday and i'm still waiting for my official orders. how long will that take. i still have not been contacted by my sponsor???

i didn't get my orders until about a week (maybe less) before i left for cot. additionally, i didn't hear from my sponsor until the day before i left for cot. i hope you have a better experience.

i will say that now i am on the other side, meaning i am now serving as a sponsor, please go easy on your sponsor! it is not always his/her fault that it takes forever for him/her to contact you. when i get an email telling me that i am the sponsor for "so-and-so" i will try to get in touch with them immediately. when i do, they are usually on their way to, or already at cot. i asked my nurse manager about this and she said that the orderly room assigns sponsors. then those names are sent to my flight c/c who then forwards them to my element leader (nurse manager). by the time the sponsor gets the email it's been almost three weeks of being passed around. it's not the most efficient system and it makes the sponsor look bad. not sure if other bases handle sponsors this way but that's how it goes with us.

jentrump29 · Sep 30, 2009

Congrats on swearing in Spencer!!

The military pays for a full service move, right? Other than taking pictures and collecting receipts for valuables, what do we need to do to prepare for moving day? I want to try to make things as easy as possible for my hubby and kids while I'm at COT. We've moved around quite a bit in the last few years, so the thought of someone else packing all of our stuff is kind of cool!! We still have stuff in boxes from the last move, but I was told to go ahead and unpack since the movers won't insure stuff they don't pack.

Do I have to have orders in hand before I can contact the base for housing?

Spencer2002 · Sep 30, 2009

thank you :) jenhasredhair

i'm unsure on the all the rules for moving? i believe that you’re allowed a certain weight according to your rank. then you have to pay for the rest. i would email or call your recruiter for details. we are staying in our house and i'm driving mt. home afb, about one hour away from us.

i got my first base choice but i wonder if it is possible that once i'm working the af will move us somewhere else?

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2009

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!

The Little Greek · Oct 1, 2009

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.

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! :)