AF moves require many hands

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. C.J. Hatch
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  During the summer, many military families go through a permanent change of station that involves picking up everything and moving across the country or even the world.

There are two agencies within the traffic management office at Luke Air Force Base ready and willing to help service members make the move from one base to another. The household goods and passenger travel offices are both here to move things, but what they move is different.

"Here in HHG we are responsible for movement of only household goods," said Alicia Clark, 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron travel management office. "If it's in your house and it needs to move we will arrange to do it."

However, there are restrictions on movements of household goods.

"We can only move the approved weight assigned to the member PCSing," Clark said. "Single Airmen E-1 through E-3 can ship 5,000 pounds of household goods at the government's expense."

HHG doesn't cover everything when moving. That's where the passenger travel department comes in.

"We move people," said Brian Quintana, 56th LRS TMO. "If they need plane tickets from here to there they have to come through us."

People PCSing overseas who need to make a port call would do so through passenger travel.

"We get you there but only from your last duty station to the new one," Quintana said. "So if you're going to PCS to Japan the flight leaves from Seattle. You want to take leave back home in Florida before leaving. You would have to buy your ticket from here to Florida then from Florida to Seattle. You will get a reimbursement for the flight but only for the amount of a ticket from Phoenix to Seattle."

Not only does the passenger travel office arrange travel for people, they help arrange travel for pets and vehicles as well.

"When you come to see us we will need to know certain information," Quintana said. "We need to know if you plan on bringing a car and if you have any pets. We'll help with the process of getting your car taken from the U.S. to your new location. We also need to know what kind of arrangements you will need if you have a pet so we can schedule the proper amount of space on a flight for your family."

Both HHG and passenger travel are important parts of making the movement process simple and are conveniently located together in Bldg. 1150. For more information, call HHG at 623-856-6425 and for passenger travel call 623-856-8131 weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.