5 Tips On How to PCS with a Pet Overseas

Moving overseas with a pet while being in the military can be a stressful situation. On one hand you are so excited to be able to explore and start this adventure of living abroad in Europe. And on the other hand you are secretly freaking out inside because there is so much stuff that needs to be done, especially if you have a pet.

In our case, we have a dog. A 60 pound Australian Shepherd to be exact. We knew about a year in advance that we would be moving to Germany and there was no way we were leaving our dog behind. Our dog is like a family member to us, so we were prepared for the costs of sending our dog overseas with us. Our original report date was August 2014 and we figured we had time to prepare so we didn’t start preparing for the move right away. My husband didn’t even have paper orders yet so we didn’t make any plans. Then in April 2014, we got word that my husbands report date had moved from August to June. We had TWO months to prepare for our move overseas. We hadn’t done anything to prepare. We didn’t even have paper orders. That is when we had to hightail it into gear and get preparations done!

So here is a list of things you need to do to help prepare yourself for your move overseas with your pet:

1. BOOK YOUR FLIGHT ASAP

First thing you need to do when you have paper orders is BOOK YOUR FLIGHT! It’s best to get your paper orders as soon as you can. Sometimes if your report date isn’t until a year, you might not be able to get those printed right away. Check with your command or travel office and see when those can be printed and book your flight ASAP. Pet spots on the plane are few and far between. I’ve been told there are only 10 spots on the entire plane so these spots fill up quick and should be booked at least 3 months before your report date to guarantee your pet’s spot. When booking your flight, make sure to tell the person you have a pet, whether it’s a dog or cat, and its approximate weight. We weren’t so lucky and there were no spots for our dog until July so I stayed behind and waited to fly with our dog then.

2. SCHEDULE VETERINARY APPOINTMENTS: MICROCHIP AND RABIES VACCINE

My dog already had an international microchip but if your pet doesn’t have one, make sure to have one implanted because it’s required for your dog to travel. In addition, your pet will need a rabies vaccine at least 30 days before the flight. Normally, we saw a vet off post but I would recommend taking your dog to the vet at your local installation because they are much more familiar with the overseas PCS process and you can also skip the trip to get the USDA certification.  Which leads me to my next step.

3. USDA CERTIFICATION

When moving overseas, a USDA certificate is usually required to prove your animal is healthy to travel. However, if you live near a military installation, you can take your animal there and they will provide you with appropriate paperwork that sort of “overrides” the USDA paperwork but works just the same. And my vet at Joint Base Lewis-McChord charged me about $3 for it because we were PCSing. So save yourself some money and try that before going to your local UDSA facility. If you absolutely have to go to a USDA facility, click on this link to help you out. Also, the pet certificate needs to be in English and German so make sure it’s in both languages before leaving the USDA office or vet’s office.

4. BUY AN AIRLINE APPROVED KENNEL

Depending on the airline you are flying on, they may have certain guidelines you need to follow to transport your pet. I flew United to Baltimore and then hopped on the military flight to Germany so I needed to make sure my kennel fit United Airlines standards and also the Patriot Express standards. Petsmart and Petco usually have airline approved kennels but not every kennel is airline approved, so double check before you fly. And if your kennel doesn’t come with metal nuts and bolts, buy a pet airline kit so you can replace to plastic ones with metal parts since many airlines require the metal nuts and bolts now. In addition, you need to make sure your pet can stand up, turn around and lay down comfortably in the kennel. If your pet can’t do these things, you risk your pet not being allowed on the flight. If you need to fly commercial to get to your military charter flight, double check with the airline on the requirements. I found a great airline kit with bolts, kennel pads and more on this website.

5. PREPARE TO PAY TO PICK YOUR PET UP

Upon arriving in Germany, you will need to pay around €50 when picking up your dog at baggage claim in Ramstein. Some people fly into other airports such as Frankfurt or Munich, so if you fly into one of those airports, you may be subject to other fees that I am unaware of and you would need to contact the airport or airline to inquire about additional fees.

My only other advice is to make sure you have someone to help you if you have a larger animal, such as a dog that is 15lbs or more. I flew by myself and it was quite difficult trying to maneuver a cart with an 85lb kennel (including dog) and three suitcases. I’m a petite girl and it proved to be quite challenging for me. Thankfully, I had some good samaritans help me out when I was struggling but I wont deny that I wish I had my husband with me to help me. In the end, it all worked out and we were finally reunited with my husband.

I hope this helped anyone who may have been confused about the PCS process with pets! Be aware though, that if we had moved to another OCONUS station, such as Hawaii or Japan, the process might have been different. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or concerns.

Have you gone through a PCS with a pet overseas? What other tips do you have?

Hello from Germany!- Part II

So after a good nights rest, it was time to wake up and get ready for our long drive to Vilseck. Nick picked me up from the hotel in Ramstein and our dog, Kratos, was so excited to see him. He may have been more excited than when Nick came home from deployment! He was jumping, crying and kissing him. We were finally all together at last.

The drive to Vilseck was very scenic. There were lots of trees all along the autobahn and incredible views of the countryside. Once we arrived on base, we went straight to our hotel. We ordered some take out and I got to use euro for the first time. I was so happy to have finally made it.

Although I had a rough start on my journey here, I couldn't be more grateful and happy that I'm finally in Germany. I've been here almost a week and I'm really enjoying it so far. We've been cooped up in a hotel room for most of it but we've been able to explore the base a bit and we were even able to go to a local fest last weekend in Amberg, which was awesome. Also, today we got the keys to our new house we will be living in. It's an old house (roughly 30 years old) and I'm not the biggest fan of the living room carpet but it's quaint and will work for us. I'm hoping I can meet some of my neighbors and make some friends too. The hard part of being a military spouse is moving every few years and having to start all over again. New friends, new job, new environment. But we also were given such an amazing opportunity to live in Europe for a few years, so I can't complain about that!

Tonight is the last night in our hotel room and I don't know when we will have internet installed at our new house (possibly 10 days or more) so it may be a while until I'm able to write another post. But don't worry, I've got a few posts planned for later, such as the fest we went to in Amberg last weekend and a post about our new house. I may have to use the wi-fi from Starbucks on post if I get desperate! Hopefully we will get internet soon, though.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!

-Kelly

Hello from Germany!- Part I

Warning: This is a long post so it will be split into two posts.

Hi everyone! Well, my dog and I made it safely to Germany! And boy was it stressful! I never ever want to travel alone with my dog overseas again. I'll explain below what happened but overall, I'm just so happy we are finally here and that the traveling is over with.

PART I: DAY OF THE FLIGHT

My husband's friend was nice enough to give me a ride to airport the day of my flight. We dropped my dog off at United cargo (which broke my heart because my dog was crying!) and then I was dropped off at check-in. Everything went smoothly on my flight from Seattle to Chicago and from Chicago to Baltimore. I made sure I asked the flight attendants to let me know when my dog was on the plane and they did, which I was thankful for.

View of Lake Michigan from the plane, flying into Chicago

When I arrived in Baltimore, I picked up my bags and my dog from baggage claim. I had never been so happy to see my dog! I had to find a man with a large cart to help me load all my bags because little ol' me couldn't do it all by myself. We went to the AMC terminal and the man had to take the cart back to baggage claim, so I was left with no cart for my stuff. I'm not going to go into ALL the detail about what happened but basically it was really hard to handle my dog and all the luggage I had by myself. The regular luggage carts at the airport couldn't fit my dog and my bags so I tried loading two luggage carts and maneuvering them myself which proved to be quite difficult. I won't lie...there was some crying that went on and some soldiers took pity on me and helped me out a bit but it was really hard. I really needed an extra hand to help me out.

The flight went well pretty well. It was a two story plane and there had to be a couple hundred people on my flight. When we landed in Germany, I was able to get my bags and my dog had to be inspected by a vet before he was released to me. My dog was so excited to see me when I let him out of this kennel. He was so excited...that he peed on me. Yes, HE PEED ON ME! Oh man, I was SO upset! And it wasn't just a little pee. He soaked my jeans. On top of having a stressful time doing this by myself, now I had urine all over myself. Again, I cried. Everyone else had their spouses with them helping them out and I was the only one struggling to do this myself. Some people just stared at me while I was trying to load my dog and the luggage by myself, but there was one lady who helped me load my luggage on the cart and I was grateful for her help.

Across the street from the Ramstein flight terminal is the Ramstein Inn. Nick had reserved a room for me so I could spend the night and it was supposed to be a pet room. But when I checked in, they told me it wasn't a pet room and there were no pet rooms available, therefore no room for me. I felt like my day was just getting worse but after some begging and prayers, they were able to find me a room. Ahh, finally I was able to relax. It was hot and I smelled like urine so I was glad to be able to take a shower and lay down.

Part II to be continued...

It's really happening

As I sit in my hotel room, the anxiety is really starting to kick in. In a few short hours, I'll be on my way to the airport to start my new adventure abroad. I can't believe this is really happening. I'm excited yet nervous. I've dreamed of going to Europe since I was a child but the thought of having my dog down in cargo just kills me inside. Maybe I sound dramatic and I'm overthinking it all (tons of people fly their dogs on planes, right?!) but he really means the world to me and my husband. He is a little furry child to us. Can you imagine putting a child in cargo? Ok, ok, I know it's not exactly the same but he is a family member and the thought of him being alone down there makes me so sad. And not only being alone, but what if something terrible happens (he gets sick, he escapes or they forget to load him on the plane?). To top it all off we have to take THREE planes to get to our final destination. I can only imagine how stressed he will be but sadly, my only option is to fly him cargo. I will be so relieved when we finally land in Germany but until then, will you pray for us? Or if you're not the praying type, at least send good thoughts/vibes our way. I'm really going to need it. Like I've mentioned before, I've got bad anxiety and this moving overseas process (by myself!) doesn't make it any better.

Ok, well I guess I'll quit my whining and get a little rest before our long journey. Once I get to Germany and find some wi-fi, I'll update you all. Thanks for reading!

-Kelly

PCS Binder

Hello everyone! I hope all my American friends had a great holiday weekend celebrating the 4th of July. My weekend was pretty low key, as I am preparing for my move to Germany NEXT WEEK! I cannot believe that I am moving overseas so soon. There is still a lot to do around here: preparing the house for the move out inspection, vet appointment for our dog, packing, etc. This week is going to fly by!

One item I've been working on for the last month or so is a PCS binder. It's a binder full of all the important documents that you will need to travel with. Items such as orders and amendments, pets vaccination records, power of attorney, passports, etc are a few items that are important to have with you. In addition, you should also carry your birth certificate, marriage certificate and social security card.

I bought dividers for my binder and also page protectors to store all the important documents. My binder has a section for:

ORDERS

POWER OF ATTORNEY

IMPORTANT DOCS (BIRTH, MARRIAGE CETIFICATE/SS CARD)

TRAVEL INFORMATION/FLIGHT INFO

DOG INFORMATION (HEALTH CERTIFICATE, VACCINATION RECORDS)

CAR INFO (REGISTRATION, INSURANCE, COPY OF SHIPMENT PAPERWORK)

HOUSEHOLD GOODS INFO

MISCELLANEOUS (FOR RANDOM PAPERS)

I also bought a pencil pouch (like the ones you used to store your pens and pencils in school) that holds my passport and other random items I may need.

Your binder may vary depending on your situation. If you have children, it would be important to carry documents for them. Or if anyone in your family is in the EFMP program, you would want to carry those documents as well. If you google "PCS Binder", there will be some sites that will pop up that can give you more ideas as well.

I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful. Leave any questions or comments in the comments section below. Now I'm off to bed so I can wake up early and finish my never ending list of things to do! 

See ya later!

-Kelly

Bye, Bye Furniture

Our household goods shipment was picked up last Friday. It was a bit sad to see all our furniture packed up and placed on that moving truck. A small tear streamed down my face when that truck drove away.

In preparation for the moving company, I researched some blogs and websites where I found some tips online. One of the biggest tips is sorting through your belongings and making sure you have a DO NOT PACK room. The week before the movers came, I purged so much stuff. I went through old storage boxes and tossed everything that I didn't really need. I kept some stuff, like little mementos that have sentimental value but the rest I threw away. It was a little hard because I didn't really need some of that stuff but for some reason I thought I did. For example, I had programs from a military ball I went to two years ago. I don't need that! But I kept it because I'm a pack rat. But now it's gone. Yay! I also donated a ton of clothes and sheets that I just didn't need. 

I had a couple DO NOT PACK rooms at my house. I used the upstairs bathroom, the laundry room and also the kitchen closet. I made sure there was a sign on the rooms that I didn't want packed. I put all the stuff that I wanted to ship with unaccompanied baggage or I was going to take with me on the plane in those rooms.

Then came moving day! The moving company was about 45 minutes late but the important fact is that they actually showed up. I was a bit worried when they didn't come during the time they had told me the day before. I had to call the company and confirm and they apologized that I wasn't informed that they were running late. 

When moving overseas while in the military, the moving process goes a little different then if you were a regular civilian moving. The moving company actually packs ALL of your stuff for you. It's required they do this for liability reasons. That way, in case something breaks while in transit, the moving company will be responsible (because they packed it) and not you. It's a little nerve racking watching strangers pack all of your stuff while you just sit there and watch. It was quite boring and made me a bit anxious. Another thing I learned is they will take apart most furniture that can be disassembled. My dining room chairs were completely disassembled, my cheap desk for Wal-mart, our recliner, etc. I was freaking out inside when I saw that happen but the packers assured me it will all be reassembled once it arrives in Germany. I sure hope so!

So now I am living in a sad empty house. At least I have an air mattress, the internet and my dog to keep me company! But in all truthfulness, it is pretty lonely. Next week is our unaccompanied baggage shipment. I'll make sure to explain more about that in another post. I hope you enjoyed this post and hope you all have a good weekend!

See ya next time!

-Kelly

See you later, Honda!

Last Friday we dropped off our Honda CR-V at the vehicle processing center to be shipped to Germany. Once it was gone, it really hit me that I'm going to be moving to Germany next month. Ahh!

In addition, Nick arrived a few days ago in Germany so he is currently in-processing at our new base. So weird not being able to call him or text him since his American phone doesn't work over there right now. So far the only way we've been able to talk is through e-mail or wi-fi phone calls. I hope everything is going well over there!

SIDE NOTE: I forgot to update everyone about my deferred travel orders. My concurrent travel orders were changed to deferred travel orders very quickly. Only took about two days so that's good. Although, I did find out that I'm not allowed to fly until Nick has signed for a house on base. So now we're crossing our fingers that Nick will be put on the waiting list ASAP and hopefully will have a house fairly soon. I get told so many things by so many different people it's hard to know what is correct or not. I just want to make sure my dog and I will be able to fly over there with no problems.

Wish me luck this week! The movers come at the end of the week to pick up our Household Goods shipment (all our furniture). I've got another shipment to be picked up shortly after that which is called our Unaccompanied Baggage shipment. I'm sure I'll update you once the process is over with. Also, if anyone wants any info about shipping your car, or POV, let me know and I'll be sure to write a blog post about my experience.

See ya later!

- Kelly

Welcome!

Hello! Welcome to my very first blog post. This blog will be dedicated to the adventures we will be having in Germany and all over Europe. Side note: Ever heard the Bobby Darin song, "Beyond the Sea"? Yes? Well, now you know how I came up with my blog name. I just wanted Beyond the Sea but that was taken. Darn! Our Life Beyond the Sea will just have to do. :)

So...Who am I? Well, if you are my friend or a family member, then you already know! But for anyone who doesn't know me, here's a little background.

My name is Kelly-Anne O'Connor, but I just go by Kelly. I'm married to Nick, who is in the U.S. Army and we are currently stationed at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington State. BUT!...That is all about to change very soon because we have orders to Germany! Yep. In a matter of weeks we will be moving overseas to Vilseck, Germany and will be living there for three years. I'm excited yet very nervous, mainly because the army moved my husbands report date up two months earlier than expected so we are rushing to get everything done last minute. If you didn't know much about the army, they like to make you fill out lots and lots of paperwork, especially when you are moving overseas. Anyways, that's a story for another blog post!

Well, I look forward to updating everyone and sharing our adventure overseas! See you next time!

-Kelly