Course Catalog / BMU 105 / Lesson 5 of 5
BMU 105
Lesson 5: Your 90 day plan
Quick review
1. What comes first in a PCS?
See the answer
Official orders.
2. Who books your shipment counseling?
See the answer
The transportation office.
Why this matters
You have learned the four big pieces: DEERS and ID, TRICARE, support offices, and your first PCS.
Now you will put them on one page with dates. That page is your who to call sheet and 90 day plan.
Start with what you already do
You already use a calendar or list to keep track of big things.
Common belief: I can do these steps whenever I get around to it.
What is actually true: Some steps have deadlines. TRICARE gives you 90 days after the QLE, and milConnect asks sponsors to register a marriage within 30 days.
In this lesson you will
- Put each step on a 90 day timeline
- Fill in a who to call sheet
- Set a date for each next step
Key words
- timeline
- A list of steps in order with dates.
- who to call sheet
- One page with each office, its number, and what it helps with.
- check in
- A date to look back and update your plan.
Your 90 days
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Days 1 to 30 | Sponsor registers you in DEERS. Get your ID card. |
| Days 1 to 90 | Enroll in TRICARE. Ask about dental. |
| Days 1 to 90 | Call Military OneSource. Visit your family center. |
| When orders come | Book transportation office counseling. |
Text version of this figure
Your first 90 days. One page, with dates.
- Step 1, Days 1 to 30: DEERS and ID card.
- Step 2, By day 90: TRICARE, plus dental.
- Step 3, Early on: Military OneSource and your family center.
- Step 4, When orders come: Transportation office.
- Your sheet: Every office, number, and date on one page.
Source: TRICARE; milConnect; Military OneSource (Oct 29, 2026).
Keep private numbers private
Do not write your Social Security number or logins on your sheet. Keep papers like your marriage certificate in a safe place.
Worked example: Rosa's sheet
| Part | Rosa's plan |
|---|---|
| DEERS and ID | Base ID office, booked March 8 |
| TRICARE | Enroll by May 30. Region found by ZIP code. |
| Dental | Ask March 12 |
| Support | Military OneSource saved. MCCS visit March 20. |
| PCS | No orders yet. Transportation office number saved. |
Rosa is a made up example. Her wedding date was March 1.
Practice: Date the plan
Mo married on September 2. Write the date for each: register in DEERS, enroll in TRICARE, and one check in.
Check your practice: feedback
- DEERS: by October 2, 30 days after the wedding.
- TRICARE: by December 1, 90 days after the wedding. Coverage starts September 2.
- Check in: 7 days after you make the plan, then at 30 days.
Common mistakes
- Steps with no dates. Give each step a date.
- Writing private numbers on the sheet. Keep them off.
- Never updating the plan. Check in at 7 and 30 days.
Try it: Capstone: your who to call sheet and 90 day plan
Pick your scenario:
- We just got married
- We married a while ago
- We have orders already
- Write your wedding date and day 90.
- Fill in DEERS and ID with a date.
- Fill in TRICARE and dental with dates.
- Add Military OneSource, your family center, and legal office.
- Add the PCS steps and transportation office.
- Then check it on the Course project page.
Do it by: 7 days from today
Reflect
What will you tell the next new spouse you meet?
Check your understanding
1. Which step comes first in your 90 days?
- DEERS and the ID card
- A PCS shipment
- A money class
See the answer and feedback
A is correct. Right. DEERS comes first.
B: Only when orders come. Review Your 90 days.
C: Good later, not first. Review Your 90 days.
2. What should NOT go on your who to call sheet?
- Office phone numbers
- Your Social Security number
- Dates for each step
See the answer and feedback
B is correct. Right. Keep private numbers off it.
A: Numbers belong there. Review Keep private numbers private.
C: Dates belong there. Review Your 90 days.
3. Why give each step a date?
- So the sheet fits on one page
- So the base can track your plan
- So deadlines are not missed
See the answer and feedback
C is correct. Yes. TRICARE has a 90 day window.
A: Dates are about deadlines, not space. Review Why this matters.
B: The plan is for you. Review Why this matters.
Takeaway: One page, with dates
- DEERS by day 30, TRICARE by day 90.
- Every office has a number on your sheet.
- No Social Security number or logins on the sheet.
Capstone rubric
This is your course project. It is checked on 6 rows: ID and DEERS, TRICARE, Dental, Support offices, PCS, Dates. See what Ready means on the Course project page.
When it is done, build it on the Course project page and press Check my project. Your certificate needs it.
Use it: your follow up plan
- In 7 days: Do the next step on your sheet.
- In 30 days: Update your sheet, retake the self check, and check your TRICARE date.
- Put both dates on your calendar now.
Your job aid: print or save the Who to Call Sheet.
Keep learning
- BMU 302 Military Spouse Field Manual: legal and money tools, deployments, TRICARE, PCS, and careers in depth (All Access).
- Military OneSource: free help any time at 800 342 9647.
One question for us: What one change would make this course more useful for you?
Recap
- DEERS and your ID card come first.
- Enroll in TRICARE within 90 days.
- Save Military OneSource and your family center.
- Orders come first in a PCS, and every step gets a date.
You now have: a who to call sheet and a dated 90 day plan.
Next up
You finished the lessons. Now take the Posttest. Score 80% or higher to pass, and retake it as often as you need. Then answer a short optional survey and get your Certificate of Completion.
Your certificate needs both the Posttest and your course project.
Sources
- Defense Health Agency, TRICARE (checked October 29, 2026). Qualifying Life Events. Official DoD website, named here but not linked under BMU link rules.
- Defense Manpower Data Center, milConnect (checked October 29, 2026). Life Events, Marriage. Official DoD website, named here but not linked under BMU link rules.
- DoD, Military OneSource (checked October 29, 2026). Call or Live Chat. Official DoD website, named here but not linked under BMU link rules.
- DoD, Military OneSource (checked October 29, 2026). Military PCS and Moving FAQs. Official DoD website, named here but not linked under BMU link rules.
