The guide the sponsor packet forgot.
You just got orders to Hawaii. Congratulations — and take a breath. This site is the practical, no-fluff version of everything military families actually need for an Oahu PCS: which side of the island fits your base, what to do about the dog, the car, the schools — and what your BAH can really do here.
Start Here
The three decisions that shape your tour
The 90-day PCS timeline
The long poles — pets, the car, household goods — in the order they need to start. Pets first. Seriously.
The IslandPick the right neighborhood
On Oahu, the commute is everything. Leeward, windward, central, town — matched to your base before you land.
Housing & MoneyOn-base, rent, or buy?
All three can be right. A fair framework for the biggest money decision of your tour.
The Bases
Guides for where you're headed
Schofield Barracks & Wheeler
Wahiawā, Mililani, and the H-2 reality.
Navy & Air ForceJoint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam
ʻAiea to Ewa Beach, and living near the flight line.
Marine Corps · WindwardMCBH Kaneohe Bay
Kailua, Kaneohe, and the greener, wetter, worth-it side.
Army · Town SideFort Shafter & Tripler
Town assignments, hospital shifts, and Moanalua math.
The Logistics
The stuff that keeps people up at night
Hawaii's pet quarantine, demystified
The 5-Day-Or-Less program, the FAVN test, and why the clock starts months before you fly.
VehiclesShipping your car
Your POV entitlement, the boat timeline, and the island-car question.
ArrivalYour first 30 days
TLA, finding a rental without getting scammed, and getting the kids in school.
FamilySchools for military kids
Geographic exceptions, school liaisons, and how schools drive neighborhood choice.
Housing & Money
Make BAH work for you
BAH reality check
What Hawaii BAH does and doesn't cover — and the one question worth asking about it.
The DecisionRent, buy, or on-base?
Wait lists, deposits, zero-down VA loans, and the 3-year-tour math — laid out fairly.
Free Tool ↗Your BAH buying power
Run your own numbers with the Military Buying Power calculator on RealityCents.
Zero Down in Paradise
The Hawaii VA loan playbook for military homebuyers — written by the veteran behind this site. If buying is even a maybe for your tour, read this before you land.
Get the bookWritten and maintained by Jay Miller — U.S. Army veteran, 25+ years in Hawaii lending, and the author behind RealityCents.com. No paywalls, no listicles, no recycled press releases — just what works on this island.