USTRANSCOM takes action to protect military families moving during COVID-19

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. – U.S. Transportation Command announced increased safety measures designed to protect Department of Defense members and their families during household goods moves taking place during the global outbreak of coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) that will go into effect immediately.

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper directed implementation of these measures.

Moving industry personnel will be required to adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 health protection protocols while in the DoD member’s residence. That means moving personnel must wear face coverings, clean frequently touched surfaces and sanitize their hands often. They must also minimize the number of personnel at the member’s residence in order to meet social distancing requirements.

USTRANSCOM is also requiring moving companies to provide certification that moving personnel have been screened for illness in accordance with COVID-19 CDC guidelines for businesses and employers. Moving companies will provide the member written certification of this screening upon arrival.

Under the new safety measures, the member can deny entry to moving personnel or question them about adhering to health protection protocols. And they can terminate the move entirely if they feel the moving crew is compromising their safety. The move would be rescheduled at a later date.

“Moving is always stressful, and COVID only adds stress and uncertainty to the process. It’s important DoD families know they are empowered to make decisions on the spot and that they have a voice in the process. Families also have resources available to them – the military services are leaning forward to verify protocols are followed, and take action on behalf of families if issues arise. Protecting the health of DoD personnel and their families is paramount,” said Rick Marsh, director of the Defense Personal Property Program at USTRANSCOM.

The military services (U.S. Army, Navy, Marines Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard) are required to verify with 100% of their service members that moving companies are complying with these safety measures during their moves.

Visit move.mil to read the latest guidance for Defense Personal Property Program customers.

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