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

I really liked being stationed at JBLM from 2002-2006, but I am also Outdoorsy. If You love having wonderful place to go Hike, Fish, and Hunt then You will love this Duty Station. I really enjoyed touring all the Wineries that are in the Area. Doing Wine Tours was a really easy way to see a lot of the State. Even Seattle had it's charm. The rain is not the rain I grew up with in Texas. In WA a lot of the rain seems to be more of a heavy mist that will piss on You till You are wet. Being prepared for the situation or rain is important.

I did 3 tours at Ft. Lewis during the 70’s and 80’s I’ve heard some pretty ugly remarks about the post and lack of physical activity. Some say it’s a career killer assignment. It was none of the kind when I was there. Besides the great units I worked with, the location can’t be duplicates anywhere. It was so great I seriously wanted to retire in the area. But the liberal left took over Seattle and politics have ruined it for most conservatives. HI on the other hand has always been too far left politically, and quite frankly way too expensive.

I’m in Hawaii now and all of my NCOs hate it here. I’ve never been anywhere else, but they suggest JBLM

Depends. In order: Anywhere on Hawaii that ISN'T Schofield Barracks, JBLM, 7th circle of hell, Schofield Barracks

Personal opinion, HI. Been here for 3-years now and absolutely love it. As mentioned above, it has shutdown due to COVID but beaches and and trails are now back open. During the shutdown the water was still open just not the beach, so you can still swim during any shutdown.

The greatest thing about this place is waking up every morning to do PT with SUMMER pt's. Seriously, I have not pulled my winter pts out in 3-years (with the exception of going to the big island for training. Gets a little cold there). On a side note, the OPTEMPO is high, but you get to go to so many different places throughout the Pacific. Will definitely miss it!

WO1 (Join to see) how long of a tour are you looking at and when would you report? I just reported to Hawaii and am on quarantine/isolation for 14 days. This island is on lockdown essentially until through the 23rd at least. The cases of COVID-19 are going up and they are trying to flatten it out. Hawaii allows you the opportunity to travel to other countries at a cheaper rate than the mainland would and is beautiful weather for most of the time, particularly if you are not a fan of snow. The cost of living is higher, but you get COLA to help offset that. If you are looking to use your VA Loan benefits to buy a house definitely look before you arrive as many people are stuck trying to look while in quarantine and houses are selling fast right now in the seller's market. I have a good point of contact if you want to see how the VA Loan works and give you an idea of how much house you can afford here on your BAH.

Hawaii would be a blast for about 6 months because of the tropical setting, access to surf, beaches, and stuff like that. But it would be so expensive going anywhere other than on the island, want to fly home? Add $200! Joint base JBLM has access to Seattle for major events such as concerts, shows, sports. Then you are an hour from the ocean or skiing or major rainforest (the only one left in the USA), You can fly to Vegas for under $100 from Seatac airport, You are a 3 hour drive roughly from Canada. (Depends on the day of the week and also on the time of day, traffic is REALLY bad!)

For a PCS I would definitely choose Hawaii. I was stationed at JBLM for almost 4 years and while there is a lot to do around if you are outdoor oriented (I am a hunter) there are a LOT of negatives. 1) Housing (even back in the early 2000s) was VERY expensive if you want to live in a remotely nice area ( you know, away from the huge population of meth heads) and I don't believe BAH is adequate. 2) Schools are substandard. They have a horrible time keeping teachers and the schools were bad, INCLUDING the schools on post which are part of the Clover Park district. There are some decent districts but you are talking even more $$$$$. 3) Crime around post and to the north near Tacoma is BAD. Tons of auto theft, Asian gangs ....you named it, it is crappy. 4) The political environment is gawd awful. Even before the current round of craziness I would describe the area as anti-military, anti-gun and anti-hunting. The locals I found to be generally unpleasant anywhere around the sound.
It is even worse because given the huge military presence around the sound the local economy FEASTS on military related dollars. Finally, 5) The weather absolutely BLOWS about 9 months of the year. There is no sun and rain pretty much from SEP to MAY/JUN. The weather doesn't usually get cold enough for snow more than a couple of times a year but all fall/winter/early spring it is going to be chilly to cold and EVEYTHING is wet ALL THE TIME. The summer is nice but not nearly enough to make up for the rest of it.

I was stationed in Hawaii for eight years, from where I spent two years on the ROK before getting a Psyop assignment stateside. I can tell you my experience was that Hawaii was an outstanding assignment for me that if it had been offered to me again, I would have gladly grabbed it. For many others, Hawaii is a one time only excitment. Lewis is a wet exercise, which not too many enjoy. The decision is what tickles your interests, but any assignment you choose can only be pleasurable, if your leaders are caring and compassionate.

I was born at Ft Lewis and have lived 15 minutes away my entire life. Tried to get stationed there when I joined the Army in 1972 but got sent to Germany instead.