Shattered family heirlooms, used toilet brushes sharing space with family clothes, couches that look like they’ve accompanied the soldier to war. These examples of PCS failures, outlined by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in a January 2026 video, ring true for service members with even one or two moves under their belt.
Because military families deserve better, said Hegseth, the Department of War is shaking up the structure and practices surrounding military moves. In January, he announced the launch of the Personal Property Activity (PPA), an agency that leaders promise will streamline processes and eliminate PCS carnage.
“It will be a permanent solution for all service members who move,” said Hegseth. “(The PPA will) guarantee high-quality, reliable and efficient household goods and vehicle shipment services to the more than 300,000 warfighters worldwide who move somewhere every new year.”
Over the years, consistent shipment delays and egregious damage to household goods exposed the shortcomings of the Defense Personal Property Program, or DP3. In response, Hegseth in May 2025 stood up a PCS task force, which evolved into the PPA.
Led by Army Maj. Gen. Lance Curtis out of Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, the agency aims to centralize what previously had fallen across several components. By doing away with that fragmented approach of the past, the PPA hopes to eliminate communication gaps and consolidate oversight of military moves.
“Centralizing DP3 functions under the PPA establishes a single accountable organization responsible for outcomes, performance, and modernization,” said Army Maj. Matthew Visser, PPA spokesman.
In addition to streamlining PCS structure, the PPA has put in place several policy changes that further benefit military families on the move, including larger compensation for delays, an expansion from nine to 12 months to file claims, and stricter cybersecurity standards to reinforce data protection.
“This has been a problem for decades,” Curtis said in January, reflecting on past PCS issues. “We listened to the force and are taking action. If you have a problem, you can call us and we will fix it.”
Since the inception of the PCS task force through the standing up of the PPA, communication with military families has been paramount, said PPA officials. The task force, they said, was developed largely on a framework of military families’ input.
“Maj. Gen. Lance Curtis has met, both in-person and virtually, to hear from our military families, and he has done the same with industry partners,” said Visser. “The PPA tries to exhaust all avenues to solicit our service members, civilians, and their families’ feedback.”
The PPA has since established a centralized operations and call center so its team can jump on any issues a military family might experience during a move. The center, which is manned 24/7 during the peak move season of May through September, has fielded about 16,000 calls and emails since its inception on Aug. 1, 2025, Visser said.
“We have seen the Ops and Call Center as game changers to improve the moving experience,” he said. “What we don’t want is for people to suffer in silence.”
While officials acknowledge plenty of work remains, they are emphatic that reestablishing trust in the military move process is more than service member care: it’s mission essential.
“When our warfighters are worried about their household goods, they aren’t focused on their mission,” Curtis said. “We are ending that distraction. Mission readiness is nonnegotiable.”
To reach the PPA Operations and Call Center, call 833-MIL-MOVE or email PCSCallCenter@mail.mil.
