PCSing with DPS

Changes have already come to some locations.  Over time, changes will be rolled out at installations worldwide.  It pays to be knowledgeable and prepared.

Do you know what DPS is?

DPS is (of course) an acronym.  It stands for Defense Personal Property System.  

I know, maybe you think it should be DPPS.  I thought so too, but it isn't and I will admittedly have a difficult time altering my brain to remember that it is simply - DPS.

DPS is the new Department of Defense Personal Property system that will replace the outdated Transportation Operational Personal Property Standard System (TOPS), which is currently being used.

DPS is already live and being used in some locations.  You can find the GBLOC Live sites link from the website frontpage.

According to the website:

Joint Program Management Office Household Goods (JPMO HHGS) is pleased to report that the DPS roll-out continues to be successful. We’ve had some hiccups, but we’re getting through them. As of 19 Mar 09, we’ve counseled 3,675 members, awarded 2,092 shipments, delivered 212 shipments, 335 invoices received, and paid 193 invoices.

Five shipment types will continue to counsel and ship via Transportation Operational Personal Property Standard System (TOPS) for now, as work in these areas continues in DPS. Those shipment types are:
1) Personally Procured Moves (PPM): the PPM functionality in DPS does not match the Joint Forces Travel regulation (JFTR). DPS will be reprogrammed and the Services will seek a JFTR change over the next few weeks.
2) Joint Moves (where both adults in a household are Service Members/DOD Civilians): the DPS functionality does not yet fully accommodate these moves.
3) Multiple shipments from the same location
4) Shipments from/to unauthorized locations
5) Shipments of unauthorized items: the excess cost estimator function in DPS does not yet properly handle these shipment types.

We are working to correct these deficiencies and we hope to move these shipments into DPS quickly. All other shipment types are now available in DPS (to include shipments to/from Alaska!), although some workarounds remain. For example, shipments for AAFES and NAF employees require manual invoice processing.

Finally, the Services, USTRANSCOM, and SDDC have agreed to keep TOPS fully functional until 30 Sep 09 for use in shipments DPS cannot yet handle, and to provide a safety net for unforeseen problems with DPS.

This news means that many more of you will be using DPS in the very near future. Welcome. We hope you find DPS to be a superior tool to the legacy system. Please continue to help us gain the maximum experience with the tool, and alert the DPS Help Desk with any problems you experience.

As always, thank you for your hard work and support as we all work to make DPS successful.

WILLIAM F. CARBERRY, LTC, USA
Joint Program Manager
Joint Program Management Office, Household Goods Systems

Service is intended to go live at Kadena AB on Monday.

Go take a cruise around the website to learn more and see all of the great information provided.

If you have already done a PCS using this system, we would love to hear feedback and comments from you. 

Comments

[Norma]

Hello to all,

I have been reading some of the comments and stories and I must say I can relate, as if I was reading my oun stories. The reason of my posting today is this; We just recently got located to hawaii and I have like many of you worked my entire life. I feel like I'm going in cyrcles looking for a job. Back in San Diego (HOME for me) I worked for a Government Contractor processing clearances along with other general business related tasks. Any who.. I think I have applied to every military related industry and still I have hear nothing. I have gone to the Family support and still nothing. It has been about a month or two and dozen's of "create your resume here" and apply there. My question is did any of you have to go thru so much just to get a decent paying job that would at least cover daycare and after school programs..and maybe a late??
Any suggestions??

[SailorSam'sGirl]

I am approaching a year and still sending out resumes trying to find full time work.
I left a great job in Maine thinking there would be more opportunity here in Virginia but so far no luck. The career center on base helped me revamp my resume to an updated format (I was still using complete sentences to describe my duties). I did get several interviews after that but still haven't been offered a job.