I was stationed at Tripler many years ago, but have visited since and will be retiring to the Big Island in a year, so maybe I can give you a few pointers about living in Hawaii.
Have you checked
www.MRWArmyHawaii.com? They have lots of information about relocating to Hawaii, including very detailed school information.
If you're taking a pet, check out the new quarantine regulations. My dog had to be quarantined for 6 months, but now there's a five-day-or-less program available. You have to have the pet tested for rabies at specified intervals during the 6 months before you arrive on Oahu and have it tested under special conditions, but it would be well worth it to do that.
www.armyfamilyhousing.com has loads of info on housing, including photos and floor plans for the various communities, some of which are close to Tripler while others are a bit farther away. My family and I lived in an apartment in Aliamanu Crater for the first year, then moved to a 3 bedroom townhouse at Ft. Shafter for the last 2 years, but it looks like that housing is no longer for officers. The size of the house depends on rank and on number of family members. There's no guarantee that you'll get on-post housing if you want it - you have to apply and then get on a waiting list. Some people leave their families in CONUS and go to Hawaii unaccompanied, then bring the family over when quarters are available. The family housing office should have a list of off-post housing if you decide to go that route, or if you can't get quarters right away.
If you have a choice, check to see what your Housing Allowance will be - I think it's $2134 a month for a 2LT, and you may also receive a Cost of Living Allowance in Hawaii, but I'm not sure what it is because I had trouble accessing the website. I would contact a real estate agent now, ask for a relocation packet, and ask to have rental listings emailed to you as they come up. I've been told by several people who have bought houses on Oahu that it's now cheaper to live there than to live in California, but I don't know how that translates into the cost of renting.
If you're not moving into quarters right away, you can receive up to 60 days of Temporary Living Allowance to defray the cost of staying at a hotel if there is no room at the guesthouses.
The commissaries and PX's are wonderful in Hawaii, and make it more affordable to live there.
For entertainment, check out the MWR Hawaii website - they offer discounts on tickets, rent camping equipment, and set up tours. They have several vacation lodging locations all over the island that are great places to stay when you have time off. While you're there, try to take a trip to the Big Island. The Army maintains a recreational site near Kilauea crater (
www.kmc-volcano.com) where you can stay, and sometimes the interisland flights are as cheap as $25 each way during specials. Renting a house for a week can also be very affordable.
The cons to living on Oahu - Island Fever, cost of living, some racial tension, limited indoor activities (museums, e.g.), expensive to travel to mainland, Waikiki too touristy. However, I went there prepared to hate it (didn't like water sports, too far from my parents) and ended up loving it.
Also, remember that you will be assigned a sponsor who can answer questions in depth for you.
Aloha,
Marcy
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