Megan Harless, the 2018 Fort Eustis Armed Forces Insurance Spouse of the Year and the 2020-2021 AFI Red River Army Depot AFI Spouse of the Year, is the founder of PCS Like A Pro, which supports military families as they move from duty station to duty station. As both a military spouse and a veteran herself, her mission is to educate military spouses and service members about the ever-changing regulations and policies related to Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves. As military families can typically expect to move every three years, her work is invaluable.
Through PCS Like A Pro, Megan provides information, best practices, and guidance to help families navigate the complex moving process. She also offers support in filing claims and helps connect families to the right resources when faced with catastrophic losses or challenging situations. Moving education doesn’t end with the military community, though: Megan also works hard to educate related industries (e.g. moving, lending, real estate), and sits on multiple panels in the Department of Defense to explain families’ challenges as they move.
Megan’s self-described “accidental advocacy” journey began when she wrote an open letter on her blog, Military Spouse Chronicles. That year had been especially awful for PCS moves, and it seemed as though there were countless horror stories. Megan wrote a heartfelt open letter describing the hardships that military families face during moves. After suggestions to remake it into a petition on change.org, it went viral, receiving widespread attention and support. Realizing the importance of the issues raised, Megan felt a sense of responsibility to follow through to ensure changes were made to affect policies and systems at the highest levels.
Continued success for PCS Like A Pro and the families it benefits involves expanding its reach and influence. Megan aims to attend more moving industry conferences, participate in panels, and continue advocating for the military community. She envisions establishing a nonprofit branch to provide financial support to families affected by catastrophic losses. Catastrophic losses are devastating events for families, with incidents like mold-infested shipments, truck fires, and thefts occurring every year. PCS Like A Pro currently provides a support network for affected families and guides them through the claims process, but Megan has a dream of giving families a monetary safety net.
Megan was selected as a Semi-Finalist to participate in the Military Entrepreneur Challenge pitch competition at the Military Spouse of the Year® Week in Washington, D.C. in May 2023, where she won a $1,000 grant. Megan’s work is truly commendable, as she empowers military families to be informed, prepared, and capable advocates for their own moves. Her dedication to bridging the gap between military families and industry stakeholders is key to improving the overall moving experience. Through PCS Like A Pro, Megan is helping military families protect the memories and sense of home.
