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U.S. NEWS Monday 8 october 2018
Military families angry about damage,

thefts during moves

By TERRY SPENCER and lost or stole bags con-
Associated Press taining the couple's shoot-
Moving is nothing new for ing accessories, she said.
Air Force Senior Master "This really is a bad year,"
Sgt. Bill Weir's family, but said Harless, whose fam-
their latest transfer was the ily has moved nine times
bumpiest yet. in 13 years. Once-isolated
The Italian moving com- problems are now "across
pany the military hired to all branches, all locations."
ship their belongings to The military has no exact
New Mexico ruined art- statistics on problem moves
work by wife Vennita, a but said surveys show a
professional artist. The crew slight drop in satisfaction.
boxed paintings with leaky Maj. Carla Gleason, a
liquid containers, broke a Pentagon spokeswoman,
sunflower sculpture and said the issues arise from
damaged frescos made a nationwide shortage of
at a Florence art school. truck drivers and a low un-
Especially hurtful, Vennita employment rate that has
Weir said: The movers de- "made it very difficult for The Weir family, Vennita, left, Athena, center, and Bill take a
stroyed a Rapunzel figurine providers to find quality la- photograph, at their home on Wednesday, September 27, 2018,
their 5-year-old daughter bor." in Albuquerque, N.M.
received during a Disney- Gleason said the 850 ap- Associated Press
land Paris trip to celebrate proved contractors are as-
her father's return from Af- signed specific jobs using a
ghanistan. formula that is 30 percent
"How do I tell her that spe- price and 70 percent pre-
cial little figurine we got to vious customer satisfaction.
commemorate that spe- Poorly graded companies
cial day ... is gone?" said are suspended or dropped.
Weir, who has made three "We are very sympathetic
moves in six years with her to the sacrifices that our
husband, who has made members make and do our
nine in 24 years of service. best to make sure that high
"Her Barbie house is broken quality providers are mov-
beyond repair because ing their possessions. Unfor-
they just shoved it in a box. tunately, not every move is
There are all these little perfect," she said.
things." When the AP contacted a
Weir is one of several mili- military families Facebook
tary spouses who told The group about transfer ex-
Associated Press stories of periences this year, com-
frustration, theft, careless- plaints came from across
ness and dishonest workers the country.
during 2018 transfers, with Traci Mayes handled her
Bill Weir and others calling family's move from Jack-
this year's move the worst sonville, Florida, to Naval
they have experienced. Station Great Lakes near
About 400,000 American Chicago while her hus-
military members and civil- band, Petty Officer 1st
ian employees will move Class William Mayes, was
this year with their families. deployed. With a 6-year-
More than 100,000 military old son and 3-year-old
members and supporters daughter, she was happy
have signed an online pe- when Shur-Way Moving ex-
tition demanding improve- pedited their delivery from
ment to a system that costs October to Aug. 15. But
taxpayers $2.2 billion annu- two crates are missing — in-
ally. cluding a 70-inch television;
Organizer Megan Harless, supplies for her T-shirt busi-
an Army veteran whose ness; and her son's clothes,
husband Aaron is a major, toys, karate awards and a
said she posted the peti- bank made by his great-
tion after her family's recent grandfather. "He kept ask-
move from Fort Leaven- ing me, 'Are the movers
worth, Kansas, to Fort Eustis, mad at me? Did I do some-
Virginia. Movers improperly thing wrong?'" Mayes said.
wrapped china, threw box- "Trying to explain that to a
es carelessly onto the truck, 6-year-old is very tough."q