U.S. Air Force
An Air Force PCS runs through AFPC and your MPF, and the paperwork is mostly self-service now. Here is what you are owed, how your orders actually get authenticated, and the myFSS and finance steps that decide whether your entitlements show up on time or three weeks late.
These entitlements come from the Joint Travel Regulations, so they are set by your rank, your dependents, and your distance, not by your branch. What changes between services is how you claim them.
DLA (Dislocation Allowance)
A flat payment set by pay grade and dependency status, roughly $1,871 to $6,386. No receipts required, but you have to claim it.
MALT (mileage)
$0.235 per mile when you drive, calculated on official distance rather than your odometer.
Per diem (travel days)
Up to $178 per travel day at the standard CONUS rate, with reduced rates for dependents by age.
TLE (temporary lodging, CONUS)
Reimburses actual lodging and meals for up to 21 days, up to $290 per day. Keep every receipt.
TLA (temporary lodging, OCONUS)
The overseas equivalent, commonly authorized up to about 60 days depending on your location.
PPM / DITY incentive
Move yourself and the government pays 100% of what it would have cost them to ship your weight. Certified weight tickets are mandatory.
Run the numbers now with the free DLA calculator and MALT and travel days calculator, or build your Air Force playbook to see all of it against your actual orders.
AFPC notifies you of the assignment and you acknowledge it. That acknowledgment is what lets your MPF start drafting orders, so do not sit on it.
Your MPF drafts the PCS order in vOP and routes it to AFPC to authenticate. Any exception to policy, like a report-date change or an entitlement waiver, goes through myFSS rather than a phone call to a buddy in the orderly room.
Work your virtual out-processing checklist (finance, TMO, medical, housing), then file your DD 1351-2 after you in-process at the gaining base. DLA, per diem, and mileage get claimed on that voucher.
Air Force systems at a glance
Ask finance for a DLA advance before you leave. Same entitlement, but the money lands while you are actually spending it.
Watch for base-specific extended TLE. Some housing-short installations authorize well beyond the standard cap, but only if your orders reflect it. Check before you assume.
EFMP screening runs through AFPC and can hold up an assignment. Start it the moment you are notified.
Doing a PPM? Certified empty and full weight tickets are non-negotiable. Lose them and you lose the payout.
Most Airmen start too late. Household goods, housing, medical records, and finance all have their own lead times, and they do not run in parallel as nicely as you would hope. Start about 90 days out.
Use the free 90-day PCS checklist →After you acknowledge your AFPC assignment, your MPF drafts the orders in vOP and AFPC authenticates them. You are notified when they are ready. Exception requests are submitted through myFSS.
It depends on your rank, dependents, and distance, not your branch. Most Airmen see DLA (a flat payment), MALT mileage, per diem for travel days, TLE for temporary lodging, and a PPM incentive if they move themselves. A personalized playbook adds it up for your exact move.
Temporary Lodging Expense reimburses your actual lodging and meal costs around a CONUS move, up to a daily cap, for up to 21 days. It is a reimbursement, so keep receipts. Some installations authorize extended TLE, so read your orders.
Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) covers up to 21 days of lodging and meals during a CONUS PCS. Here is how it works in 2026, the daily cap, how to split your days, and the mistakes that quietly cost families money.
2026 DLA rates for every military pay grade, with and without dependents. Full table, eligibility rules, claim steps, and common mistakes to avoid.
Most service members miss thousands in PCS entitlements. Here's every dollar you're owed, DLA, MALT, per diem, TLE, and more, with 2026 JTR rates.
Your real entitlements in actual dollars, a timeline counted down from your report date, and the checklist for your rank, dependents, and destination. Free, no account needed.
Build my playbook for freeFree. No account, no paywall.
Rate figures on this page reflect the August 2026 Joint Travel Regulations tables. Rates change, usually once a year and sometimes mid-year, so confirm the current figure before you count on it.
PCS Copilot produces estimates, not an official entitlement determination. Verify your numbers with your servicing finance office. See how we calculate on the methodology page, or report an error on the corrections page.
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