Professional Books, Papers, and Equipment (PBP&E or PRO-Gear)

Professional Books, Papers, and Equipment (PBP&E or PRO-Gear)

A member is authorized PBP&E transportation when the member certifies the PBP&E as necessary for official duty. PBP&E is transported in the same manner as household goods (HHG), including incident to separation, relief from active duty, or retirement but it is not charged against the member’s authorized weight allowance.

Officers must certify PBP&E on the Application for Shipment of HHG (PHS-4013, line 17) and notify their HHG transportation counselor of PBP&E prior to shipment. This will alert the HHG surveyor to PBP&E when calculating surveyed weight. Officers should also inform the packing crew what HHG is PBP&E to ensure your professional gear is separately identified and labeled as such on the inventory. After the fact declaration of professional books, papers and equipment is prohibited.

When the PBP&E items no longer qualify as PBP&E, they may be transported or placed in non-temporary storage (NTS) incident to the next permanent change of station (PCS) as PBP&E. Articles which lose their identities as PBP&E are HHG, if otherwise qualified as HHG.

Examples of PBP&E articles include:

Reference material;
Instruments, tools, and equipment peculiar to technicians, mechanics, and members of the professions;
Specialized clothing such as diving suits, astronauts' suits, flying suits and helmets, band uniforms, chaplains' vestments, and other specialized apparel not normal or usual uniform or clothing;
Communication equipment used by members in association with the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS), see DODD 4650.2;
Individually owned or specially issued field clothing and equipment;
An official award given to a member by a Service (or a component thereof) for service performed by the member in the member's capacity or by a professional society/organization/U.S. or foreign Government for significant contributions ICW official duties; and
Personal computers and accompanying equipment used for official Government business (i.e., CPU, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 1 printer, 1 set of small computer speakers).

PLEASE NOTE: Excluded from PBP&E is sports equipment, and office, household, or shop fixtures or furniture (such as bookcases, study/computer desks, file cabinets, and racks) of any kind even though used in conjunction with the PBP&E.

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Last updated: 18 April 2008