Skip to main content

PCS Pay-it-Forward

Community members participating in PCS Pay-it-Forward program for kindness.
Menu

About PCS Pay It Forward®: Free Military PCS Support for Every Family

Every PCS move comes with a lot of unknowns. New schools. New neighborhoods. New everything — and usually only 48 hours to figure it out.

PCS Pay It Forward® was built for exactly that moment.

Since 2016, we’ve helped more than 127,000 military families navigate the chaos of a permanent change of station — not with a sales pitch, but with real support from people who’ve lived it themselves.

How It Started

In 2016, military spouse Lauren Taylor noticed something that frustrated her deeply. Families arriving at new duty stations for their limited house-hunting leave were being ignored by real estate agents who had no financial reason to help renters. As a result, these families were on their own — no guidance, no local knowledge, no support — during one of the most stressful transitions in military life.

Lauren decided to fix it. She launched the first PCS Pay It Forward community in San Diego, offering judgment-free, real-world support for military families regardless of whether they were renting, buying, or moving into base housing.

Word spread fast. Families who received help came back to help the next wave of newcomers. In that simple act, a community was born.

A Note from Our Co-Founder, Lauren Taylor, Military Spouse

“When my husband deployed, I was a young Navy wife with two kids under two and a freshly printed real estate license. In my first year, I watched military families PCSing to San Diego get ghosted by agents, fall victim to rental scams, and spend weeks stuck in the Navy Lodge just trying to find a home. It broke my heart — and it made me angry. Clearly, there had to be a better way. What if instead of waiting for a broken system to fix itself, we just helped each other? That question turned a humble passion project into a nationwide movement.

After helping hundreds of families move to San Diego, something beautiful started happening — our members began asking if they could bring PCS Pay It Forward with them to their next duty station. Pensacola. Norfolk. Hawaii. The demand was undeniable. That’s when I met Pierre Cook, an Air Force veteran and logistics expert who shared the same vision. Together, we partnered to expand the program and the mission — and 127,000 military families later, the rest is history.”

— Lauren Taylor, Co-Founder

Growing the Mission Nationwide

In 2018, Lauren partnered with Air Force veteran Pierre Cook to take the mission nationwide. Together, they built a network of local support communities across more than 115 installations — all powered by military-connected ambassadors who understand what a PCS actually feels like from the inside.

Today, many military families PCS exclusively with PCS Pay It Forward. Moving from one support community to the next, they find housing, connect with their new neighbors, and eventually turn around to help the family arriving behind them.

A Note from Our Co-Founder, Pierre Cook, United States Air Force Veteran

“After separating from the Air Force, I spent years in global business and logistics — but I never strayed far from the veteran community. The bond you build in service doesn’t disappear when you take off the uniform. I stayed close to my brothers and sisters, and was working with the United Veterans Association when I first crossed paths with Lauren. The moment she shared her vision for PCS Pay It Forward, I saw immediately what it could mean for the quality of life of our service members and their families. Joining forces with her to bring that vision to life was the easiest decision I’ve ever made.”

— Pierre Cook, Co-Founder

What We Believe

Everything we do comes back to three simple ideas:

  • Empowerment over sales. We’re not here to sell — we’re here to serve. No commissions. No quotas. No pressure toward any particular path.
  • No one PCS’s alone. This is more than a resource. It’s a movement built on the belief that every military family deserves a guide who’s been there.
  • Pay it forward. Every family we help today becomes a guide for the family arriving tomorrow. That full-circle model is what makes this community unlike anything else in military relocation.

What Makes Us Different

Most military relocation services are designed around the roughly 30% of military families who buy homes. They also charge real estate agents high referral fees and prioritize home sales — even when buying isn’t the right move for a particular family.

PCS Pay It Forward®, however, was built for 100% of the military community.

Whether you’re renting, buying, or weighing base housing, you deserve real support and honest information. Our PCS Ambassadors don’t have sales quotas — they have PCS orders of their own. They know what it’s like to land in a new city with kids, pets, and zero support system — because they’ve done it.

  • Ambassadors who’ve been there. Every PCS Ambassador is a military spouse or veteran with firsthand experience navigating PCS moves.
  • Support for every family. We help renters, buyers, and base housing families equally. No upsells. No pressure.
  • Community-first model. Families receive help, then come back to give it — momentum a transactional service can’t manufacture.
  • Honest, candid guidance. We’ll tell you about the traffic, the school quality, the neighborhoods to research carefully — not just the highlights.

Paying It Forward Beyond PCS

Our mission doesn’t stop with families currently serving — it extends to those who served before us.

Through our partnership with the Veterans Community Project, PCS Pay It Forward, our partners, and our ambassadors have contributed over $125,000 to help build tiny homes for veterans in need. These homes provide safety, dignity, and a fresh start — offering more than just shelter. They represent a legacy of community that mirrors our own philosophy: those who can help, should help.

Because when we say no one should face transition alone, we mean it — for every stage of the journey, and long after the uniform comes off.

What We Offer

PCS Pay It Forward is more than a Facebook group. Here’s what military families get access to across our network:

By the Numbers

127,000+ Military families supported since 2016
115+ Active installation communities
$125,000+ Contributed to build tiny homes for veterans through the Veterans Community Project
2016 Year PCS Pay It Forward was founded
All branches Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force

Frequently Asked Questions About PCS Pay It Forward®

Is PCS Pay It Forward really free?

Yes. PCS Pay It Forward is free for every military family — renters, buyers, and base housing families alike. No cost, no obligation, no spam. We never charge the families we support or sell your information.

Do I have to buy a home to work with PCS Pay It Forward?

No. While most military relocation services are built around the roughly 30% of families who buy, PCS Pay It Forward was built for 100% of the military community. Whether you are renting, buying, or moving into base housing, you get the same real support and honest guidance.

What is a PCS Pay It Forward ambassador?

A PCS Pay It Forward ambassador is a licensed real estate agent who is also a military spouse or veteran. They have lived the PCS experience themselves, they do not carry sales quotas, and they help renters, buyers, and base housing families navigate a move to their installation.

Is PCS Pay It Forward a mortgage lender?

No. PCS Pay It Forward is not a mortgage lender — it is a free military relocation support network. For families ready to buy, we connect you with our ambassadors and with Pay-It-Forward Home Loans® so you can explore your VA loan benefit without pressure or obligation.

Will PCS Pay It Forward sell or share my information?

No. Your information stays between you and the PCS Pay It Forward team supporting your move. We do not sell your information or pass it to a network of lenders and agents who will call and text you relentlessly — that lead-selling model is exactly what we built PCS Pay It Forward to replace.

Can PCS Pay It Forward help if I am PCSing from overseas?

Yes. Our ambassadors regularly help families house-hunt remotely, handle virtual tours, and coordinate moves from overseas or across the country. You do not need to be local to get matched with someone who knows your next installation.

What does PCS Pay It Forward actually offer?

Members get a personalized PCS Plan, local base guides covering housing, schools, and BAH, VA home loan support for families ready to buy, and a real community at more than 115 installations. Everything is built to help you land at your next duty station without the chaos.

How many military families has PCS Pay It Forward helped?

PCS Pay It Forward has supported more than 127,000 military families since 2016, across 115+ installations nationwide. The network grows every month as families who received help return to guide the next ones arriving behind them.

Who founded PCS Pay It Forward?

Military spouse Lauren Taylor founded PCS Pay It Forward in San Diego in 2016. In 2018 she partnered with Air Force veteran Pierre Cook to take the mission nationwide, building a network of military-connected ambassadors across the country.

Is PCS Pay It Forward only on Facebook?

No. PCS Pay It Forward started as local Facebook communities, but it is now a full support network. Beyond the groups, families get the PCS Plan tool, base guides, VA home loan support, and direct connections to ambassadors at their installation.

Ready to Start Your PCS?

You don’t have to figure this out alone. Whether you just got orders or you’re deep in the planning process, we’re here.

Start your free PCS Plan — get a personalized roadmap for housing, schools, and your next duty station.

Find your base guide — real intel on the installation you’re headed to.

Explore your VA Home Loan benefit — if buying is on the table, learn what you’re entitled to before you start your search.

PCS Pay It Forward® is a registered trademark. We are headquartered in Palmetto, FL and have served military families at installations across the United States since 2016.