TMO Outbound: Making your move seamless

  • Published
  • By Capt. Rose Richeson
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  For some people 15 or 24 months can seem like a lifetime or it can be over within a blink of the eye. In either case, everyone stationed at Incirlik will have to pack up and say goodbye at some point transferring with them all of their personal belongings to their next location.

When it comes to a permanent change of station, members are not on their own. The 39th Logistics Readiness Squadron Traffic Management Office is available to instruct outbound customers on exactly what steps are needed in order to prepare their valuables for pick up.

Senior Airman Maria Candiotti, 39th LRS Personnel Property outbound counselor, meets with members one-on-one to discuss shippable items once they have received PCS orders.

"Turkey is unique and therefore may require extra time for beyenname clearance," she said. "Members should visit TMO at least three weeks prior to their port call date to allow for household and unaccompanied pack out, as well as, shipping a vehicle."

TMO's part in the PCS puzzle relies on the date the member receives orders. As soon as orders are in hand, members should be reporting to TMO Outbound to schedule both beyenname closeout and pack dates. If orders are issued late, it may cause a hold up and possibly require an extension of their date expected to return from overseas.

"Orders will specify the type of shipment personnel are authorized to use," said Airman Candiotti. "Unaccompanied baggage and household goods shipments will both require numerous copies of PCS orders and a beyenname copy which can be obtained by the Turkish customs liaison if it has been misplaced by the member."

Once orders are provided to TMO, a weight estimate is asked for to ensure the packers bring enough materials to finish the job properly. TMO Outbound professionals recommend always overestimating and heeding on the side of caution, however, all carriers are required to conduct a pre-move survey at least 24 hours in advance of the pack out date which will allow for a more accurate weight assessment. It is also important to note that the amount of time needed for packing relates to the weight of a member's entire shipment.

A few things to consider when prepping goods for pack out include having all of the documentation needed to ship items such as carpets, motorcycles and electronics, and finding a place in your residence to set those items aside to be cleared first. For example, to ship a handmade Turkish carpet that was purchased during an assignment to Turkey requires the original receipt from the place of purchase and a receipt from the Adana Museum that confirms the rug is not an antique.

As for vehicle shipments, it is the carrier and not TMO that requires extra preparation. All motorcycles must be de-registered and have a power of attorney before the scheduled pack out date. On average for vehicles being shipped, the clearance will take at a minimum 10 duty days, not to include Turkish holidays, for beyenamme clearance.

"If you pay attention, and actually read the documents provided and do what they tell you to do, you will have absolutely no problems," said Maj. Katrina Stephens, 39th Military Personnel Flight commander who recently packed out in preparation for her PCS to the D.C. area.

Major Stephens considers herself fortunate, but is also convinced that her organization played a part in her beyenname being cleared in just three days from submission. Another extra step taken in her preparation was to have the Incirlik Auto Hobby shop inspect her vehicle for oil leaks and seeping seals before taking it to the port for shipment to avoid last-minute surprises.

"It was important for us to work very closely with the on-site supervisor to meet our pack out needs," said Charlie Stephens, 39th Services Marketing director and husband of Major Stephens. "Be patient and put yourself in the packer's shoes to understand what they go through to accommodate each individual."

TMO Outbound offers customer service hours every Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information on TMO Outbound services, call 676-6604.