Navigating an OCONUS Evacuation

• Verify what type of order you’ve received — authorized departure or ordered departure. This will determine if leaving is optional or mandatory and how travel will be funded and documented.
• Account for yourself — report your status through your component’s accountability process and find essential emergency contacts.
• Follow your installation’s official channel first: command notifications, mass text alerts, base social media and embassy notices.

Tip: If you’re traveling or are living OCONUS, enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to get embassy alerts regarding health, weather and safety.

• Keep the items that protect your family’s identity, health and access to care on hand. This includes passports, military and dependent IDs, birth certificates, orders or evacuation paperwork, prescriptions, medical information, cellphones and chargers, banking details, important legal documents and emergency contacts.
• Have a written travel plan in place for your pet. Try to make a backup care plan as soon as possible and keep their records and supplies close by in case your pet is unable to travel with you.
• Health and school records may take up to six weeks to receive. Once you know you’re leaving, request the documents to make the transition smoother when you reach your destination.

Read the Disaster Preparedness guide to learn more about planning for a crisis, natural or man-made disaster.

If an evacuation is ordered, report to the nearest assembly point as quickly as possible. In many crises, government-coordinated transportation moves people first to a nearby safe location, which might be outside of the United States.

• If you’re sent to a safe haven location, per diem and safe haven allowances may help cover lodging and subsistence for a limited period.
• Log your full travel timeline with dates and locations, and keep receipts for lodging, transportation, meals and any other evacuation-related expenses.

Pro tip: Have questions about shipping property or allowances? Get answers straight from the source. See frequently asked questions from the Defense Travel Management Office.

You don’t need to solve everything at once. In the first few days, try to focus on the basics:

• Confirm your lodging and ask about any financial support available.
• Refill medications and take care of any urgent medical needs.
• Review important paperwork when you are able.
• Ask your command about what comes next — including travel plans or additional time in your current location.

• MilitaryINSTALLATIONS has essential contacts and trusted information about your next installation, including housing, check-in procedures, local resources and support services.
• The Military and Family Support Center can help families get connected to local support, understand available services and find help for needs that come up after a sudden move.
• Find your local loan closet to access temporary household essentials and family items to help you manage day-to-day needs.

Once you’ve met your immediate needs, use these resources to help you confirm your next steps, prepare for further travel and the transition to your next location.

• Contact the Relocation Assistance Program for trusted guidance to help you prepare for your move and upcoming transition. Get answers to questions and essential information about housing, child care, military spouse employment, local resources and more.
• Use your local transportation office to figure out travel arrangements, moving entitlements and the logistics of property shipment.

Navigating an overseas threat or crisis can be unpredictable and overwhelming. No matter where you are in the process, help is available. Here’s who to contact if you or your family need someone to talk to, help managing stress or immediate crisis support:

• Military and Family Life Counselors provide free, confidential counseling to help you manage stress, adjustment challenges and other emotional impacts that often come with a sudden relocation. Find in-person support for you and your family on or near installations.
• Military OneSource counseling offers free, short-term support over the phone for stress management and other difficulties that can build up during an emergency or major transition.
• Peer-to-peer support offers confidential conversations with consultants who have military experience and can talk through personal or career challenges, stress and the pressures of military life.
• If stress turns into a crisis, immediate help is available 24/7 from the Military Crisis Line. To access, you can call 988 and press 1, text 838255 or start an online chat.