If you had the choice would you like to be stationed at JBLM or Hawaii?

I did a tour at Hickam back in 78 - 80, what an amazing place. My wife and I go about every couple of years on vacation. I would not recommend Hawaii as a first assignment, or even a second. I arrived on the island and was 17 yrs old. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time and was lucky to get off the island with my career intact. The point being I was just too young to appreciate all that Hawaii has to offer.

The real question is: How much money do you have? Hawaii is expensive, even with the increase in living allowance. Hands down for me would be Washington state.

Stationed at JBLM for four years, back when it was Fort Lewis and North Fort with McCord next door. They rechristened it JBLM about a year before I got out. I will tell you, you'll be there a month at most before you realize why Kurt Kobain did what he did. Not even an exciting rain. Just grey, slow, cold, soggy rain. You get about 2-3 months of sunshine in summer, but the rest of the year is that liquid sunshine. Fairly decent post, though. Not too far of a drive to check out Vancouver in Canada for a weekend, or going to check out concerts at white River, the showbox, etc.

I was in the Army in the ancient days (early 70s). I went from Viet Nam to Hawaii (worked Schofield Barracks, lived Honolulu). Between the two places, it was a tossup for me. Long hours (7 workdays/week + 3 nights/week guard duty), heat, M60 bullets from U.S. soldiers (the closest I came to being shot) in one place. Boredom, high prices, a feeling of enclosure, and freeway traffic that slowed to 20 MPH at the first raindrop in the other,

I’m currently stationed at schofield. Hawai’i is a beautiful place, but it comes with baggage as well and the units are the most undisciplined I have ever seen. Even if I wanted to go experience the island, I tend to be dealing with work on my free time because sip shit soldiers can’t get their shit straight while simultaneously higher is too forgiving and doesn’t respect recommended punitive action as much as they should. It really depends on you though. If you don’t TRULY like hiking and if you get sick of the same scene over and over (including weather, if you like the 4 seasons you won’t like Hawai’i), then it’s probably not for you. If you love to hike and explore, it may be your forte. I for one loved it for about 6 months. Some of the best scenes you’ll ever see. However, I’ve had horrible run ins with locals who hate me just because I’m white, people here lack common curtesy (won’t hold doors, won’t help anyone in need, happy to cut you in line and just in general whatever to get ahead in their busy life) in general so if manners are important to you then it will also aggravate you (common courtesy is huge to me so a simple trip to the overpopulated Costco is enough to get my blood boiling within a matter of minutes and I’m not easy to anger), traffic is horrible, the price of necessities are crazy and after you’ve been there a year, you’ve pretty much seen almost everything or at least a version of...

If you love the beach and can’t get enough, go for it. If you couldn’t look at the same beach 24/7 without getting a little bored, then I highly recommend you do yourself a favor, including professionally, and chose a different station. That’s just my opinion. It’s not all bad but it relies heavily on you and your personality.

Was at Ft Lewis for a few years not bad; except for a sawed off little runt of a csm,.
I pissed him off every way I could.
Signed out of the BN as a 1SG.

;)

Never stationed at Hawaii, was statiined at the old Ft Lewis, was too damn liberal for my taste. No idea what JBLM is like though. Washington state has some beautiful countryside though. It does have that going for it though.

Hawaii. I’m just joined and grew up on Schofield barracks. The childhood was great. Wouldn’t mind if my kids got the same experience I did.

I ended up at Helemano Military Reservation in the early 70's.125 Signal and 372 ASA was stationed out there then. I have to say we were glad not to be at Schofield Barracks, just for the simple reason, we were not there. plucked down right in the middle of pineapple fields, we were pretty close to Haliewa, and the north shore. Yeah,you do get island fever, but flights to the mainland was pretty cheap. The other islands were cool too.

Jblm.
I was at JBLM and then sent to hawaii.
Hawaii is nice, but there is quarantin for your pets, everything is expensive, long flights back to the mainland.
No winters in hawaii is a plus. Living 10 mins from north shore was nice too.
I enjoyed my time there. I would go back if they sent me but I would not request it. Well maybe if I was a single soldier.......