:smiliescale
CSing from Oconus (permanant change of station) from overseas
http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/OCONUS is exhausting and very busy for active duty and their families doing it. Just for a little background for the timeline I have typed up my own personal experiences to understand perhaps, in a small way, what Megan was going through.
~4-6 months before moving stations (pcs) we have an idea of where we go next.
SUPPOSEDLY MEGAN REQUESTED BRAGG... SEVERAL ALLEGED FRIENDS MENTIONED HER FIANCE' OR BOYFRIEND, OR BABYDADDY BEING STATIONED THERE. THE TIPSTER MENTIONS THE PREGNANCY, PATERNITY, AND THE FACT THAT THE ALLEGED FATHER IS MARRIED
~1-2 months before we move we finally get confirmation of where we are going via a RFO (request for orders). We can arrange transportation (movers scheduled to pack you up and move you out) with these in most cases. In other cases you need hard orders. After the RFO the hard copy is there in four weeks or so
~in between continuing to work, changing command or responsibility and training incoming person into your current job you are outprocessing post, closing out german phone bills, german internet bills, and cleaning and scrubbing your quarters. This takes weeks of long and hard work. You are also coordinating flights to the states and researching next duty station
~the last week before flying is grueling! You try to clear everything before the flight. You have shipped your car already and have to rent a car...and it is EXPENSIVE. If you are lucky you have friends willing to drive you around and take you to the airport...so you don't have to spend 800 euros on a car for the week (about one thousand us dollars). But lots of times friends are deployed or working. You don't get reimbursed for a rental on the other side...it is out of pocket.....but we military know this and are prepared for it
~you've turned everything in and paid everything off in Germany...including your cell phone. All you have on the plane are your two checked bags...stuffed full of everything you could possibly need for the next 30 days until your "hold baggage" gets there, and a caryon with important papers, and the rest of what you need for the next few months.
ON HER TRIBUTE PAGE MANY OF MEGAN'S FRIENDS DESCRIBE HUGGING HER BEFORE SHE LEFT. SHE HAD MANY FRIENDS AND COWORKERS THAT TRULY CARED ABOUT HER AND WOULD CONTINUE, MOST LIKELY, FRIENDSHIPS AFTER THE PCS TO FORT BRAGG
~you get on the plane sometime in the morning...usually btwn 7-11 am. You walk through at least two (sometimes four or more) scanners to pennetrate the international flight area...and almost miss your flight because of it.
~you fly 8 hours to 'transportation approved' airport (they only pay to land in certain regions....so Megan may have had to land in Charleston or some other place, and rent a car and drive the remainder of the way).
DID SOMEONE PICK HER UP AT THE FINAL DESTINATION OR DID SHE RENT THE CAR THERE AND DRIVE ON TO FORT BRAGG?
More, continued