When leaving the army, final moves are not generally paid for at public expense, so you’ll need to factor this in before moving to civvy street.
One exception to this is the Final Tour of Duty (FTOD) allowance. FTOD allows those who are not placed in their area of choice for their final posting to be eligible for removals and Disturbance Expense.
If your soldier is due to complete their service and receive an immediate pension (for example, if they have completed 22 years or 16 years of reckonable service for officers), they may be eligible.
Timing is key
They need to apply using JPA form F024, which must be submitted during their second to last assignment. This gives time for the career manager to see if they can assign you to your desired location.
For final postings of more than four years, the form must be submitted and approved no later than two years before the end of service.
If your soldier is assigned within 50 miles or 90 minutes’ travel time of your desired location, you won’t be eligible for your final removals or Disturbance Expense from that final posting.
If they’re assigned further away than that, you may be entitled to use the allowance at any stage during the final posting up to and including your soldier’s final day of service, so long as you haven’t moved and used removals and Disturbance Expense within the six months prior to the FTOD move.
Don’t leave it too late
Some families have contacted AFF after finding out they’re not eligible because they submitted their form too late. You can’t retrospectively fill in the form, so it’s really important to get your application in before any final posting – it could save you a lot of money! More information and full regulations are in JSP 752 Chapter 12 Section 5, or speak to your unit HR admin to discuss your eligibility.