Movers say proposed rule will delay delivery, pickup of household goods on bases

A trade group representing the moving industry is opposing a proposed Pentagon rule that would make access to military installations more difficult for trucking crews. Movers unload a box on Scott Air Force Base, Ill., June 17, 2026. (David Phaff/U.S. Air Force) The Defense Department’s Personal Property Activity, or PPA, issued proposed changes for 2027 for the Defense Personal Property Program. It is seeking comments on the draft changes before issuing final rules next month. One proposed rule change says movers would be “explicitly prohibited from requesting sponsorship from Armed Forces personnel.” Violation would result in “punitive action,” the proposal states. Under such a rule, moving crews could not reach out to service members or other household members to facilitate entry, Katie McMichael, executive director of Movers for America, said in a phone interview Wednesday.

“It just seems counterintuitive for PPA to make base access more difficult than it already is,” she said. The organization on Monday submitted formal comments on the proposed rule changes to PPA. In January, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced PPA’s formation to oversee the relocation of service members’ possessions during permanent change of station moves following a slew of complaints from customers and movers in recent years. Base access has long been challenging for movers because installation commanders set their own, differing levels of security,