The Foreign Service Journal, January 2013

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY 2013 23 Josh Looking back on my family’s years in the Foreign Service, I would say that generally, the Service takes care of those who take care of themselves. So it is crucial to become actively involved in all aspects of your career and life—whether you’re planning to travel, managing a move, assembling infor- mation for claims or submit- ting a travel voucher. You are your own best advocate! Beyond that, here are some specific pointers I’ve found helpful. Prepare the Whole Family to Move The importance of involving everyone in a family move cannot be overstated. Some households, if the children are old enough, actually start with a “family council” during which everyone looks at possible assignments together. As one Foreign Service child I know recalls, “Even decisions about what posts my Dad would apply for were family discussions. There was a sense of adventure, of being in it together. “We were less vagabonds than travelers. At every new post, my father would get out the maps and the history books. That enthusiasm, the sense that we were so lucky and privileged, stayed with me. ” Another interesting aspect of adaptation to a new post—as the U.S. Army illustrated in a study years ago—is that the attitude of the mother is crucial to how well children adapt. Keep Complete Records Most of us know how important it is to hold on to receipts and track expenditures throughout a transfer. But in addition, be sure to retain all inventories from packing and storage compa- nies, and bills of lading. Further, inventory all your possessions and videotape the more valuable ones to have proof of possession if you ever have to file a claim. And if you are working with a State Department transportation counselor to facilitate your move, take the initia- tive to stay in touch with him or her. Some people erroneously assume that since they are auto- matically covered by the Government Claims Act, it is a waste of funds to purchase private commercial insurance for their household effects and automobiles. Such a deci- sion is the very definition of being “penny wise and pound foolish,” however. The Government Claims Act exists as a safety net, but the reimbursement received through it for lost or dam- aged property will always be inadequate. The best compensation for lost and damaged property comes from private commercial insurance. Work with Your Movers Preparing for the movers is of prime importance if you want to facilitate and encourage a good job. Moving is a psychological game, so you want to show the movers that you know what you want—but also that you have gone to some trouble to make their job easier. As daunting as the prospect can seem in the midst of all the chaos and stress of a transfer, it is absolutely necessary at some point to devote yourself entirely to organization. One basic task is to make clear where items are to go: unac- companied air baggage, household effects or storage. Since movers will not pack suitcases, you might want to set up another category for your own luggage. This can be done with Avery col- ored dots—blue for UAB, green for HHE which is going overseas, and red for stored items that will stay in the United States. Using colored dots has many advantages. You can start to label your belongings to show where things will go long before the move, and it is easy to change the color of the dot if you change your mind as to the object’s destination. That way, the movers can readily tell where an item is going, and as you group items to be packed together for the movers, the colored dots make it easy to identify them. Knowing what exactly is in each of the different cartons can be a real challenge because the inventory notations of the mov- ers are usually vague. A good way to avoid such confusion is to have the movers number the cartons as they go, while several friends make notations of the contents of each carton as it is packed and then note the number the movers assign to it. These friends will need to be in different rooms if things are being Moving is a psychological game. Show the movers you know what you want—but also that you have tried to make their job easier.