Looking for quality dining set for an itinerant family

We are a military family currently living in Virginia. We typically move every 2 years either to another U.S. location in a moving truck or possibly overseas (in this case, our household goods are crated and shipped).

We have dealt with a crappy oak dining table (purchased at some unknown big box by my husband before we met) with chairs that break every time we move for way too long. I would like to purchase a quality real wood table/chairs/buffet but I don't want to invest in something that won't pack and move well.

Many military families just say to wait and buy something nice when you're done moving (retirement)...this is because the low bid movers that pack up our houses are not necessarily careful with our belongings.

Does anyone have any recommendations for dining room furniture lines that are durable enough to survive multiple moves and easy to assemble/disassemble? Any hints on methods to reduce damage to table/chairs in the moving process?

As far as style, we like the pottery barn benchright set and also some mission trestle style sets we have seen.

Thanks for your time.

Tough call. What you want to look for is probably high-quality pre-owned furniture that is built right (Pottery Barn is not it). Durability for moving (stress) is a function of joinery. If you were to get a set of American Windsor chairs for example, that's the strongest chair ever made of wood. They are light (better for durability than heavy) and with correct bore and wedge joinery can take what the movers dish out. To buy new you will pay $ 350 and up for a side, $ 500 and up for an arm. But if you keep an eye our for them you will see sets come up at 1/4 the price of new. Tables should all have mortise and tenon joints and I'd personally want a stretcher base on the bottom for added strength.

Moving is as good as the guys on the truck, but you already knew that.