DoD Fired Its Moving Company. What’s Next?
- associationworks
- Jul 16
- 3 min read
by COREY TITUS, MOAA Government Relations
The Pentagon canceled its single-source moving contract with HomeSafe Alliance (HSA) on June 18 “due to HSA’s demonstrated inability to meet its obligations and provide high-quality relocation services to service members,” DoD’s chief spokesman said in a press release.
The Global Household Goods Contract (GHC), worth up to $17.9 billion over nine years, was DoD’s effort to consolidate the 400,000 annual shipments under a single transportation provider.
The new system started moving servicemembers in 2024 (after several contract bid protests) and completed just 688 moves by January 2025. By April, before peak PCS season, HSA was assigned just 25% of the domestic moves, when the plan was to have them handling most of the domestic household shipments. HSA returned 1,600 of those shipments to the legacy move system.
Many of the moves HSA implemented were plagued with late deliveries, troops and families unable to track shipments, and items broken on arrival – problems similar to what servicemembers had been facing in 2018, when the new setup was conceptualized following an outcry from families about the PCS process.
Where Does DoD Go From Here?
DoD has made personnel changes to respond to the PCS challenges. Maj. Gen. Lance Curtis, USA, has been put in charge of the PCS Joint Task Force to "decisively act and make immediate improvements to the DoD Personal Property Program," per the press release.
DoD’s next steps are unclear, but a repeat of the playbook that got us here must be avoided. MOAA recommends:
Securing stakeholder buy-in. PCSing can be one of the most stressful times in a servicemember’s career, for both the member and the family. Changes made by the task force should come with community input and be broadcast to groups like MOAA and other military service organizations (MSOs) to ensure wide distribution.
Preserving the MilMove platform. GHC implementation left a lot to be desired, but there are positive aspects that should not be ignored. The MilMove platform brought improvements to the moving experience, and having a single location for tracking and support was a positive step.
Ensuring accountability and transparency. Whatever direction the Defense Personal Property Program goes from here, accountability and transparency must be maintained. The existing dashboard should be maintained and account for all future moves, so servicemembers and families remain the primary focus in the PCS process.
Learning from mistakes. Any actions to rebid the contract should be postponed until the congressionally required Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is released this fall, and other initiatives to modify the PCS frequency are solidified. While the GAO report specifically reviewed HSA, it likely will reflect many lessons that can be integrated into DoD’s next steps.
Implementing a PCS out-of-pocket survey. DoD should create a moving expense survey to track expenses and ensure dislocation allowance (DLA) is adequately covering moving costs, to include reestablishment of internet and other services that are requirements of modern life.
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While recent changes – including the increase in personally procured move reimbursements to 130% – have helped ease some concerns for servicemembers and their families this PCS season, significant challenges remain within the broader system. MOAA remains committed to advocating for a smoother, more reliable PCS process for our community given the importance of this issue to our members and their families.
This article was first published by the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and is reprinted with permission. All current, former, and retired officers, and surviving spouses of officers, are eligible for MOAA membership. Visit https://www.MOAA.org/join or call (800) 234-6622 to learn more.
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