JULY 17, 2026 – Just hearing the acronym “PCS” is enough to make some military families break out in a cold sweat. For others, a permanent change of station signals the beginning of an exciting new adventure. As summer temperatures rise, moving trucks become a familiar sight across the Miami Valley, signaling that another peak moving season is officially underway.
While moving is always a major life event, your attitude, and your choice of support resources, can make all the difference. At Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, there is an entire network of specialists dedicated to making your family’s transition as seamless as possible.
First Stop: Wright-Patt’s Newcomer’s website Whether you are active-duty, Guard, Reserve, or a civil service employee, your first digital stop should be the official Wright-Patt Newcomers website at https://www.wpafb.af.mil/Newcomers/.
This site is an exceptional tool for getting a feel for the local area, learning about the rich history of the Miami Valley, and finding vital initial information on housing, family support, and local schools. While the website provides an excellent digital roadmap, it is just the beginning. Below are the premier, boots-on-the-ground services ready to take the guesswork out of your transition.
Next up: Military and Family Readiness Center Before the first box is even packed, make contact with the Military and Family Readiness Center.
“We are the place to start,” said Sharron Griffin-Gorham, Military and Family Readiness Center community readiness consultant. “We have all types of resources we can send them. If we don’t know, we know who to refer them to.”
While service members are automatically assigned a sponsor through their unit, spouses are too often left out of the information loop.
“Every base is not the same,” Griffin-Gorham added, emphasizing that both partners need to be active in the transition process. Too often she has seen a service member say their spouse doesn’t need the services M&FRC can offer, but often times the opposite is true.
Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Duck, M&FRC readiness noncommissioned officer, admits that even seasoned service members like himself can be guilty of not sharing crucial transition details with their spouses. He strongly encourages new arrivals not to make that mistake.
The M&FRC can also be pivotal in helping set families up for financial success. Moving inevitably incurs additional costs; the M&FRC’s personal financial readiness office can help mitigate some of this with personal counseling sessions, education seminars and information on how the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act can impact your existing debt when moving to Ohio.
“The mission is to help people,” said Duck, “so just callus! I don’t have all the answers, but the more I look, the more I learn and the more I can help.”
You can’t go wrong with Wright Start To get connected in person, spouses are highly encouraged to attend theWright Start Newcomers Programalongside their service members. Typically held on the first Tuesday of every month at the Wright-Patt Community Center, the event features key briefings and hosts more than 30 local organizations sharing information on community services. Children are always welcome to attend.
For broader planning, the DoD’s Military OneSource website at https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/ offers comprehensive relocation tools and youth program overviews for installations worldwide.
M&FRC services are open to active-duty service members. For more information about the Wright-Patt Military and Family Readiness Center visit their website at https://wrightpattfss.com/military-family-readiness-center/ or call 937-257-3592.
Settling into Schools For families with school-age children, the School Liaison Program (SLP)is your single best ally. The SLP team serves as the central bridge between Wright-Patt families and local school districts and can help take the guesswork out of the process. Even the most seasoned PCS families can benefit from their help.
Andrea Edmonds, one of two Wright-Patt school liaison program managers, notes that they actively track inbound families to provide personalized, one-on-one transition support. Her advice to parents is simple: be proactive. Reaching out six months to a year before a PCS is not too early.
The SLP assists active-duty, Guard, Reserve, veterans, retirees, civil service employees, and defense contractors. They help families navigate records requirements, homeschool resources, and specialized education plans (such as IEPs or 504 plans). Worried that your child will miss out on extra-curricular tryouts? They can assist with that as well. Thanks to the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, there are very few boundaries to children having the ability to pick right up in a new school and school liaisons can help navigate all of it.
What’s the biggest mistake Edmonds sees families make when PCSing with school-aged kids?
“Relying on social media as the one thing that makes their decisions of where they will go,” she said. “Everybody’s experience is individual, and what works for one kid here might not work somewhere else, so you really have to know what’s best for your family.”
Contact the School Liaison Program Office at 937-656-0942 for more information.
Build your child’s community with Youth Programs Time to unpack – but what about the kids?
Summer moves eliminate mid-year classroom disruptions but can leave kids feeling isolated before the school year starts. Wright-Patt’s youth programs help bridge that gap, giving kids a space to make friends while parents unpack.
The Prairies Youth Center (serving ages 9 to 18) offers recreational activities, sports leagues, STEM classes, Lego Robotics, and leadership clubs.
Looking for sports? Youth Sports Program has recreational leagues and clinics year-round including soccer, track, tae kwon do, special needs sports and more.
Learn more at https://wrightpattfss.com/prairies-youth-center/, visit or call:
- The Prairies Youth Center is located at 641 Chapel Lane, Bldg 234 in Riverside and can be reached at 937-904-4700.
- Youth Sports is located at 156 Spinning Road, Bldg 6933 in Riverside and can be reached at 937-656-8693 or 937-656-8688.
Explore the Miami Valley Because the vast majority of Wright-Patt personnel live off-base, connecting with local Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs) is a fantastic way to discover your new community. Organizations like Destination Dayton (https://www.destinationdayton.org/) and the Greene County Visitors Bureau (https://www.greenecountyohio.org/) offer excellent calendars of local events, festivals, and family activities. All local counties have similar organizations, if you live beyond Dayton or Greene County a simple web search will help connect you.
Time to put your feet up and enjoy the next chapter With an entire team of professionals at Wright-Patt ready to assist, it won’t be long before your boxes are unpacked, your school plans are settled, and your family is enjoying everything the Miami Valley has to offer.
Story by Lisa Riley
88th Air Base Wing