83 Days......

...and counting.  We have that many days left to spend before we board a plane and say farewell to Incirlik Air Base and this crazy, surreal, almost out-of-body experience we have lived the last 2 years.  I have had many questions about what goes on during a military move and how it is different from a civilian one-so here are some FAQ's-

Who pays for everything? The Air Force does.  There is a Travel Management Office (TMO for short) here that coordinates all the details of a move.  Pack out dates, car shipment, airfare, etc.  All taken care of by good ole' Uncle Sam.  We do have a weight limit (determined by rank) that we must adhere to and there are restrictions on air travel, but other than that-it is a really sweet deal.

How long does your "stuff" take to get to you? When we moved here, it was right around 3 months.  It comes in crates by boat.  The car was about the same length of time.  You do have something called unaccompanied baggage.  It is a separate, smaller shipment that is supposed to get to your destination quicker.  Most people pack essential things (towels, plates, TV, microwave) in this shipment. However, there is no guarantee it will arrive early.  Ours arrived the same day as our larger shipment when we got here.  At overseas bases, loaner furniture is provided until your shipment comes.  In the States, no such luck.  Air mattress, here we come!!

Do you do any of your own packing? No. I try to clean out and organize, but the packers must pack everything themselves for liability reasons.  And so far, we have had good luck.  Not a lot of damaged items in our moves, knock on wood!

Any other burning questions out there?

The next few months will be c-r-a-z-y, that's for sure!!