Venturing Across the Country for a PCS and Doing What’s Best for Our Favorite Four-Legged Member of the Family!

Living in the rumored “black hole” of Ft. Bragg, I figured after 7 years, reenlistment orders to PCS that got revoked, 2 deployments, and another one approaching, we were not going anywhere. So, at year five we decided we might as well set some roots, and bought a house. These deployments were a year on and year off, with the unit never getting unfenced, so we were not expecting to be told that we were leaving. With no idea that unaccompanied Korea orders would come our way, we had no way of knowing where we would be when the Korea tour was over.

My biggest fear, but biggest excitement, came to light when we received orders to Fort Wainwright. To give some perspective on how much we have to travel, we are looking at about 4800 miles, give or take. We are super excited at the chance to explore some of the United States! However, I am super nervous at the enormous to do list that has come my way. That list goes on and on…from how we will get there, keeping my three kids under the age of 10 occupied in the car, and all of the paperwork needed.

My biggest concerns are our newly purchased house and our family dog. We have a Great Dane and as you probably know, they are not a small dog. She is a part of my family and to even have to put her on the table of what to do is heartbreaking. First thing we hashed out is that we will ship one car and drive the other. With driving 4800 miles, we have to go according to what the Army allows. After doing some research, as I cannot attend a levy brief until I have a hold of printed orders, the Army says we are allotted 350 miles a day. This puts us at roughly 14 days of driving.

 I have a Subaru Forester. I love my car! It’s AWD and has plenty of room for my kids. Unfortunately, with luggage, gas cans, and anything else needed for the trip and the temporary stay until we get our new housing in Alaska, there is little to no room for our 100+ lb. tall dog. Another thing in the back of my mind is the extreme cold of the winter. It would be much different if we had a husky, or a shepherd, or any other dog with a layer of fur, but our Dane has a thin layer and she gets cold very easily. As much as we didn’t want to admit it, between travel and location, it is not a good idea for her to come with us. We tried to rationalize and figure it out so that she could come, but it became more of negotiating her health and comfort. We do not want to find her a permanent home because she is a part of our family, so we looked into the next option…a foster home. Luckily, we know of a loving family who has offered to foster her for the three years we will be away. We will cover food, toys, and any vet bills. She gets to be spoiled and not subjected to drastic weather changes. The BEST part is that we get to come back home to her when we return.

Every PCS is different, and I’m sure things would be different if it was to a different post, but moving from NC to AK, this was the best solution, so that Luna could still be in our lives and remain a part of our family. We can’t wait to see her again in a few years!

For those of you who have had to make some tough choices when it comes to your pets, we get it! We want them with us no matter what, but we have to keep everything in perspective and do what is best for everyone involved. While it isn’t easy, it was well worth it for our girl!

Are you interested in more information about PCSing with your furry friends? Make sure to check out PCS with Pets for a lot of great information, sweepstakes, and so much more!

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