First off, I have to say I have the utmost respect for the military and their families for their sacrifices and duty to our great nation! My grandfather served as a pilot in the Marines in World War Two and relocated his family to Hawaii shortly after the war. The closest I ever got to serving was the 8 years I spent in uniform as a Honolulu Firefighter.
I have the higest respect for your job and I always treat my military clients like family. When you are looking to PCS to Hawaii, call David at (808) 371-3509.
Rent vs. Buy? Why rent? Hawaii has some of the highest BAH in the nation! You can use your VA Loan to establish your own equity vs. your landlord's and the government helps you pay for it! In addition, when you rent you not only miss out not gaining equity- you also don't get to write off your mortgage interest to offset your income taxes.... oh, and by the way you can always brag to your family and friends about owning property in Hawaii :)
Here's some information & background on our bases:
Camp Smith
Installation Info: Zip Code: 96863, Area Code: 808, DSN: 457
On the island of Oahu, Camp H.M. Smith sits near Pearl Harbor and the small town of Aiea. It was built in early 1941 to serve as a Navy hospital. Soldiers wounded in the Battle of Iwo Jima soon filled it to capacity.
The camp is a support installation that provides services and materiel to the Third Marine Regiment, Combat Service Support Group 3, Combat Marine Aircraft Wing and other units in the region.
There is no direct bus transportation from the airport to the base and a taxi can be expensive. Arriving personnel may call the command duty officer from the airport USO to get a lift to the camp. Pets must be quarantined for 120 days.
Camp H.M. Smith is a good base to be assigned to because it is an opportunity to live on an island that many people save for years to vacation on for a week or two. During off hours, service members can visit numerous state and national parks, swim on the beach year-round and enjoy great surfing and fishing, boating and snorkeling.
The high cost of living in Hawaii can be partially offset by low clothing costs (no need for long underwear or parkas) and low utility bills (no heating costs).
Eastern Pacific Naval Computer Telecom
Installation Info: Zip Code: 96786, Area Code: 808, DSN: (315) 453
Naval Computer Telecommunications Area Master Station (NCTAMS PAC) is the largest communications stations in the world. It began in 1906 with the first U.S. Naval Radio Station in the Pearl Harbor Complex, but was decommissioned in 1916. By 1939, with the arrival of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, it was clear that a new receiver and control station were needed. Construction began in 1940 on the 697 acres, about 20 miles north of Pearl Harbor at Wahiawa. What once began as a small radio station for the Pacific Fleet turned into a massive complex combining several communication stations. By December 1990, the Naval Communication Area Master Station, Eastern Pacific at Honolulu, merged with the Navy Regional Data Automation Center (NARDAC) Pearl Harbor, to form the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Eastern Pacific. In October 1997, it was renamed Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Pacific, to better reflect the command's geographical area of responsibility.
The primary function of NCTAMS PAC is to provide communication support to Navy activities in the Pacific Ocean region. Healthcare units offered on base include a medical and dental clinic. For emergency treatment, Wahiawa General Hospital is available. There are no Department of Defense schools on base, though there is a childcare center accommodating 55 preschool children.
The base offers a gym, pool and weight room for the fitness buff. Other activities include bowling and racquetball. Popular visitor attractions near Pearl Harbor include the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum, Kilauea Military Camp, Volcanoes National Park and the USS Missouri Memorial. Hawaii offers one of the best climates, which makes it perfect for any water sport or outdoor recreational activity.
Fort Shafter
Installation Info: Zip Code: 96858, Area Code: 808
Fort Shafter is headquarters for the U.S. Army Pacific, with major units U.S. Army Pacific, Pacific Ocean Division, and the Army Corps of Engineers
The oldest Army post in Hawaii, Fort Shafter was named in honor of Maj. Gen. William R. Shafter, a leader of America's troops in Cuba in the Spanish-American War in 1898. Those moving to Fort Shafter will find helpful relocation services and a number of family groups and organizations. An elementary school is on post, overseen by the Honolulu School District, with additional off-post schools in Honolulu. The joint AMR military family housing area, located in the center of the island of Oahu, offers residents easy access to work and recreation. Housing information can be obtained by calling (808) 471-0894. The Tripler Army Medical Center next to the post is a major referral center for Fort Shafter.
Between Fort Shafter and the surrounding bases, many recreational opportunities are offered, with fitness centers, youth centers, pools, social clubs, tennis courts, beauty salons, education centers, the U.S. Army Museum and historic Palm Circle.
Hickam AFB
Installation Info: Zip Code: 96853, Area Code: 808, DSN: 449
In 1957 the Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces, was established at Hickam Air Force Base on the island of Oahu. Nine miles from downtown Honolulu and close to Pearl Harbor, the base fulfills a mission of enhancing air power in the Pacific by supporting air operations, maintaining combat-ready forces and providing quality services and support in the Pacific. The establishment of the Pacific Air Forces was a first because all previous commands in the Pacific had operated independently of one another. To emphasize the significance of the headquarters' presence, an Air Force Band was recently stationed there.
Outpatient healthcare is available at the 15th Medical Group clinic. Inpatient care and other services can be found at Tripler Army Medical Center at Fort Shafter, 17 miles away, or Kaiser Hospital in the Honolulu area. There is also the Kapiolani Medical Center in Alea.
For recreation, there is a pool; harbor; photography and frame shops; engraving service; ceramics and pottery center; auto skills center; and a sports and fitness center. Popular visitor attractions near Pearl Harbor include the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum, Kilauea Military Camp, Volcanoes National Park and the USS Missouri Memorial. Hawaii offers one of the best climates, which makes it perfect for any water sport or outdoor recreational activity.
Kaneohe Bay MC Base
Installaion Info: Zip Code: 96863, Area Code: 808, DSN: 257
Merely getting to Hawaii is considered an achievement to most people in the military. Living there can take a little more effort than one might expect from the laid-back tropical paradise.
Camp Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base is on the windward side of Oahu Island, 12 miles north of Honolulu. The base's mission is to provide services and materiel to support various Marine regiments and air groups. Kaneohe Bay is also headquarters for the various Marine bases on Hawaii that have been consolidated into Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
If you need a lift, contact the command duty officer at your base after working hours from the USO at the airport. Dogs and cats may not love Kaneohe Bay so much because they are quarantined for at least 30 days and up to 120 to prevent the importation of any animal-borne diseases.
Another obstacle to overcome is the high cost of living in Hawaii. Most families need two incomes, and some two-salary families have one parent working two jobs. To help jobseekers, the military began a service called Joint Employment Management System to help connect jobseekers with potential employers. Most island jobs are in the service industry, working in hotels or fast-food chains. Professional jobs are scarce.
Apart from the economic factors, many say the hardest part of an assignment to Kanehoe Bay is breaking away from the sun, surf and golf to go to work.
Pearl Harbor Naval Complex
Installation Info: Zip Code: 96860, Area Code: 808, DSN: (315)473
While most people remember Pearl Harbor because of a few short hours in December 1941, the Navy's involvement with Pearl Harbor Naval Station goes back almost 100 years. Now known as Navy Region Hawaii, Pearl Harbor was originally built as a coal-mining station. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, it was apparent that a support base was needed. In 1899 the Naval Coal Depot was built and dredging began to clear a channel for ships to enter.
Today, Pearl Harbor is known as one of the most important bases in the Pacific. Only eight miles from Honolulu and its famed Waikiki Beach. With networking piers, office buildings, housing units, clubs, churches, recreation facilities and one of the finest climates to be found anywhere in the world, Pearl Harbor is called "the best homeport in the Navy."
Pearl Harbor is home to the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Command, the largest of eight unified specified U.S. commands. It is the nerve center of the Pacific defense. Also in Honolulu is Makalapa, home of the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT). CINCPACFLT is the largest naval command in the world. There are 29 housing areas for military personnel scattered across the island of Oahu, but all within 15 miles of the base. A pet quarantine is required when shipping animals to the island.
Attractions to see near the Pearl Harbor complex include the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum, Kilauea Military Camp, Volcanoes National Park and the USS Missouri Memorial.
Schofield Barracks
Installation Info: Zip Code: 96857, Area Code: 808
When Major John M. Schofield visited the Hawaiian Islands in 1872 to determine the defense capabilities of its ports, it marked the beginning of the U.S. presence in Hawaii. He concluded that an easily defendable harbor could be formed at the mouth of the Pearl River, and after the U.S. annexed Hawaii in 1898,military roots took hold.
Near Wahiawa in the center of Oahu, Schofield Barracks houses the 25th Infantry Division (Light) unit, the Army Garrison, Hawaii; 703rd Military Intelligence Brigade; 45th Corps Support Group (Forward); and the Hawaii National Guard. The base had a large population of about 12,005 active-duty personnel with 11,380 family members, along with 3,000 Guard, 1,273 Reserve and 2,673 civilians. Housing offers 667 officer-family units, 4,687 enlisted-family units, 36 unaccompanied officer units and 26 unaccompanied enlisted units. Temporary lodging is also available, offering 192 guest house units. A large commissary and large exchange mall with various specialty shops service personnel. Families are provided for with a child care center that can accommodate 310 children, with part-time and hourly care available. An outpatient clinic and two family-practice clinics provide base medical needs, with Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu offering specialty care.
Schooling is provided on post with three elementary schools and one secondary school, and additional school choices are nearby. Recreational activities see a good part of base funding, offering golf, gym, fitness center, library, pool, youth center, bowling, auto crafts center, tennis and various club organizations.
Tripler Army Medical Center
Installation Info: Zip Code: 96859, Area Code: 808, DSN: 433
Eight miles from Hawaii's famed Waikiki Beach, Tripler Army Medical Center is the only Army medical center outside the U.S. mainland. The largest medical military treatment facility in the Pacific, it operates the U.S. Army Health Clinic at Schofield Barracks, which includes a Troop Medical Clinic at the Armed Forces Recreation Center, Kilauea Military Camp and a Troop Medical Clinic, Pohakuloa Training Area.
The center dates from 1907 when several wooden structures at Fort Shafter were used as a hospital. In 1920 the facility was named in honor of Brevet Brig. Gen. Charles Stuart Tripler for his contributions to Army medicine during the Civil War. Tripler is the nerve center of the Pacific Regional Medical Command, and the most prominent provider of health care for military personnel across the Pacific. The architecturally unique coral pink structure is a familiar landmark on the south shore of Oahu. Personnel use the commissary at Fort Shafter, and the medical center maintains a small exchange.
Children attending local schools in Honolulu. Medical care is top rate, with 350 beds available and services to care for all needs. Recreational activities available within the center complex include an athletic field, bowling, pool, gym and tennis facilities.
Click Here to Search for a Home
