Military PCS Moving to NAS Jacksonville + NS Mayport (2026)

The short answer

Permanent Change of Station orders to NAS Jacksonville or NS Mayport land thousands of service members and their families in Northeast Florida every year. This guide covers what actually matters: PPM vs HHG, weight allowances, MILMOVE workflow, base housing options, where civilian-life families typically settle, school decisions, and the destination-side logistics on arrival.

H2H Moving handles PPM moves, destination-side support for HHG moves, and the broader military relocation workflow for service members PCSing to Northeast Florida.

PCS basics — PPM vs HHG

The two move types every PCSing service member needs to understand:

HHG (Household Goods) move

The government-arranged move. The Defense Personal Property System contracts a carrier; that carrier packs, loads, transports, and unloads your goods; the government pays the bill.

Pros:

• Zero out-of-pocket cost (within your weight allowance)
• Carrier handles packing labor
• No receipts or weight tickets to track

Cons:

• Carrier selection is government-driven, not yours
• Pack and delivery dates are dictated by carrier availability
• Damage claim process can be slow
• Overage of weight allowance is your bill

PPM (Personally Procured Move) — formerly DITY

You arrange and pay for the move yourself, then file for reimbursement at 100% of what the government would have paid the contracted carrier (sometimes called the GBL or Government Bill of Lading rate).

Pros:

• Potential thousands-of-dollars profit if you move efficiently
• You control the timing, carrier selection, and packing
• Faster, more predictable delivery
• You can choose a trusted local crew (H2H, etc.) instead of carrier-roulette

Cons:

• You front the cost and wait for reimbursement
• Requires receipts, weight tickets (empty + loaded), and documentation
• Reimbursement is capped at the GBL rate — if you spend more, you eat the difference

PPM works well for service members who:

• Move efficiently (smaller household, good packing)
• Are willing to track receipts and weigh trucks
• Prefer date control over budget zero

Weight allowances by rank

Your weight allowance is set by rank and dependent status. Selected examples (current 2026 rates approximate; verify with your TMO/PPSO):

Rank	Without Dependents	With Dependents
E-1 to E-4	~5,000 lbs	~7,000 lbs
E-5	~7,000 lbs	~9,000 lbs
E-6	~8,000 lbs	~11,000 lbs
E-7 to E-9	~10,000 lbs	~13,500 lbs
O-1 / O-2	~10,000 lbs	~12,000 lbs
O-3	~13,000 lbs	~14,500 lbs
O-4	~14,000 lbs	~17,000 lbs
O-5	~16,000 lbs	~17,500 lbs
O-6	~18,000 lbs	~18,000 lbs

The full and current table is published by the Defense Travel Management Office. Check with your TMO/PPSO for the current numbers — they update.

Overage penalty (HHG): out of pocket. Underage (PPM): counted toward your reimbursement profit if you move under your allowance.

The MILMOVE workflow

All military household goods moves are processed through MILMOVE.com — the Defense Personal Property System portal. The workflow:

1. Receive PCS orders from your command
2. Log into MILMOVE.com as soon as orders drop
3. Submit a move request with origin, destination, dates, dependent status
4. Select HHG, PPM, or partial-PPM structure
5. Schedule pack and pickup dates through the carrier the system assigns (HHG) or document your own plan (PPM)
6. Move day — verify inventory, sign carrier paperwork carefully
7. Track shipment through MILMOVE
8. Receive at destination — inspect for damage, document anything, sign carefully
9. File claims within the carrier’s claim window if needed
10. For PPM: submit reimbursement paperwork (receipts, weight tickets, itinerary) within timeline

Pro tip: Start the MILMOVE workflow the day your orders drop. Pickup capacity for PCS-peak months (May through August) tightens fast. Last-minute booking puts you on the worst dates and the most overworked carriers.

Your installation’s Transportation Office (TMO / PPSO) is the human point of contact for questions, exceptions, and weight-allowance issues. Use them — they exist to help you navigate the system.

NAS Jacksonville — the lay of the land

Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jax) is on the west bank of the St. Johns River in southwest Jacksonville. Major commands: Patrol Squadron operations (P-8 Poseidon), Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast.

NAS Jacksonville housing options:

• On-base housing: Yorktown Princess area — single-family and townhome inventory managed through the housing office
• Off-base preferred areas: Orange Park (Clay County) for school quality, Mandarin (Duval County) for suburban feel, Fleming Island (Clay) for top-rated schools, San Marco/Riverside (downtown-adjacent) for urban-walkable

Commute math from off-base locations to NAS Jax:

• Orange Park: 15-25 minutes
• Mandarin: 20-30 minutes
• Fleming Island: 25-35 minutes
• Riverside/San Marco: 20-30 minutes

NS Mayport — the lay of the land

Naval Station Mayport is on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the St. Johns River, in the Jacksonville Beaches area. Major commands: surface fleet, including destroyers and cruisers. The base also operates a small carrier-capable harbor.

NS Mayport housing options:

• On-base housing: managed through the housing office
• Off-base preferred areas: Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach (walking distance to base), Mayport area, Ponte Vedra Beach (slightly longer commute, top schools, coastal lifestyle)

Commute math from off-base locations to NS Mayport:

• Atlantic Beach: 5-10 minutes
• Neptune Beach: 8-12 minutes
• Jacksonville Beach: 10-15 minutes
• Ponte Vedra Beach (north): 10-20 minutes

Schools — the family-decision driver

School quality is the dominant non-housing factor for PCSing families with kids.

Top-rated districts in Northeast Florida:

• St. Johns County School District — consistently #1 in Florida by Florida Department of Education metrics. Covers Ponte Vedra Beach, Nocatee, St. Augustine, World Golf Village
• Clay County School District — strong, particularly Fleming Island feeders
• Duval County School District — large urban district; quality varies by school. Specific magnet and dedicated-magnet schools rank well; check by individual school for Mandarin/San Marco/Riverside addresses

For PCS families coming from top-rated military-base areas (San Diego, Pensacola, Pearl Harbor), St. Johns County is the closest apples-to-apples school equivalent in Northeast Florida.

Timeline before and after PCS report date

90+ days before report date:

• Receive orders, log into MILMOVE
• Begin housing search (on-base waitlist research, off-base property search)
• School research and registration timing
• Family medical and dental records consolidation

60 days before report date:

• Confirm HHG carrier assignment OR confirm PPM plan
• Book PPM mover (H2H Moving available for Northeast Florida-arriving PPMs)
• Vehicle shipping arrangements if applicable
• Pet relocation logistics

30 days before report date:

• Pack and pickup dates locked
• Final utility transfers (origin)
• USPS change of address
• Banking and direct deposit updates

Report date and after:

• In-process at NAS Jax or NS Mayport TMO/Housing
• Inspect HHG delivery carefully — document everything
• File claims within carrier window for any damage
• File PPM reimbursement paperwork
• Complete Florida driver’s license update (military exemption available; check with installation legal)
• Vehicle registration (military discount available)

H2H Moving for military PCS

H2H Moving handles:

• PPM moves to NAS Jax or NS Mayport — full-service or partial-service packing, loading, transit, unloading, with certified weight tickets and itemized receipts for reimbursement filing
• Destination-side support for HHG moves — unloading at base housing or off-base residence, unpacking, set-up, debris haul-away
• Storage-in-transit between arrival date and housing availability
• Junk removal for inherited stuff from previous tenants or downsizing during PCS

We’re locally owned by Devin Vangel out of St. Augustine 32084 — dispatch to NAS Jax in 35-45 minutes and NS Mayport in 30-40 minutes. Service charge is transparent and itemized.

Call (904) 209-9277 to discuss your PCS orders and timeline. See our military relocations page for service details.

Related reading: Moving to Ponte Vedra Beach luxury guide · Moving to Nocatee insider guide · Best movers in St. Johns County 2026 · Northeast Florida movers