RAF Mildenhall PCS & Welcome Site

Starting Nov. 25, 2024, the Department of Defense (DoD) is increasing its reimbursement allowance for service members relocating a household pet during an OCONUS permanent change of station (PCS) move from certain countries designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as high risk for dog rabies. For additional information, click here.

This will mitigate the high costs of shipping a pet from these countries using a cargo service when Patriot Express capacity and regularly scheduled commercial airline service are not available.

For moves within CONUS, the Service member may be reimbursed up to $550 and for OCONUS, up to $2,000 from certain countries and up to $4,000 from countries designated by the CDC as high risk for dog rabies.

Relocation expenses include travel within the U.S. or overseas, plus:

• Quarantine fees
• Mandatory microchipping
• Boarding fees
• Hotel service charges
• Licensing fees at the new duty station
• Shipping fees if the Service member flies, rather than drives

Members can request reimbursement along with their PCS travel voucher, but they must meet eligibility requirements and include all required documentation. Documentation requirements include:

• Service members must be on PCS orders, and all travel and expenses must take place on or after Jan. 1, 2024.
• Members must provide receipts for all costs—even those under $75
• Receipts must be itemized, indicate they are for one pet and include the name of the pet if possible (especially for specialized care the pet receives, such as vaccinations).
• If the pet is flying cargo because it exceeds the weight limit to travel via government or government-procured transportation, the receipt must include the weight of the pet.
• If a member self-procures a ticket at a location serviced by the Patriot Express, they must have a non-availability letter and appropriate remarks on their orders. Otherwise, the transportation portion of the reimbursement will be limited to the cost of shipping the pet via the Patriot Express. All documentation used to obtain a non-availability letter must be included when the member files their PCS travel voucher.