Ask An Army Spouse: Getting Stationed in Hawaii

Last Updated on May 9, 2023

First Duty Station: Hawaii

My husband is almost done with AIT. His first duty station is in Hawaii. What do we have to do for me, our cat, car, and belongings to go along with him? Is there anyone we have to contact?

Do we have paperwork to fill out? How do we get on a waiting list? Last but not least, do I get to go with him right away? I am totally lost on what to do!!

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First, lucky you! Enjoy Hawaii!

Your husband’s orders should include dependents. This will allow you to contact the transportation office that is closest to you to set up the move.

The Army will send a moving team to your house to pack all of your belongings and transport them to Hawaii. They will be able to give you a weight estimate of your belongings.

Do your best to stay under what you are allowed, as any overages can be very expensive. For an overseas move, you will be eligible to move one vehicle that is paid for by the Army. If you want to take a second vehicle, you will have to arrange for shipment of it.

Regarding housing, you will need to contact the housing office in Hawaii to see how they assign housing. Some posts will allow you to add your name to the waiting list as soon as orders are cut, whereas others won’t allow you to do it until you are physically present on post.

Other things to consider include an EFMP screening for your entire family. This is to ensure that Hawaii has adequate medical facilities to take care of any medical issues in your family. This can be done by contacting the nearest MTF (military treatment facility).

Also, all pets going to Hawaii will require quarantine. In most cases, unless it is a puppy or kitten, they can be fast-tracked and it will only be a matter of days.

Find additional information on relocating to Hawaii here.

Moving to Hawaii with Pets

My fiance and I are getting married in 2 weeks as soon as he finishes his AIT. We just found out that he will be stationed in Hawaii, so we will move there at the end of May. I’m totally excited and not sure what to do. I have lived in California all my life, and I am clueless about where to start.

What should we bring with us? We are just starting our home and don’t have much furniture yet. Should we buy it before we leave and ship it, or look for the furniture once we get there? I have a 5-month-old puppy. Will I be able to bring him with me? I heard they had to be quarantined, but he’s still young; I don’t want him to get sick or anything.

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First, you must ensure that his orders to Hawaii include you. Otherwise, the Army will not pay for you to move with him.

After you are married, he will need to attempt to get his orders amended to include dependents if they have already been cut. Regarding furniture, it may be cheaper for you to buy things in the states as things are generally more expensive in Hawaii.

If pets do not meet the five-day or less requirement for quarantines in Hawaii, then they must be quarantined for 120 days. Due to your puppy’s age, it looks as if he may fall under the 120-day quarantine.

I don’t blame you for not wanting to do that, as I wouldn’t want to do it either. However, if he doesn’t qualify for the shorter quarantine, there won’t be a choice.

Moving Household Goods to Hawaii

My husband is finishing up OSUT in May, and he’s been told that his duty station will be in HI. I’m not sure where; I forgot to ask him. I’m just wondering how all our belongings will get there and how long it takes to get our things sent to us. Does anyone know? I’m very overwhelmed and nervous and would really appreciate some help. Thank you!

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Congrats on getting Hawaii. A good friend of mine just returned from being stationed there, and she misses it dearly!

You will be able to arrange your move through the transportation office. For an overseas move (which Hawaii is considered), you will likely want to let the Army handle everything. In that case, they will send a moving company to your home to pack your belongings and ship them to Hawaii.

You should also be authorized to have one vehicle shipped at the expense of the Army. There will be weight limitations for your household goods depending on rank, but as long as you don’t exceed that, there will not be any cost associated with the move.

As you can imagine, moving household goods to an overseas location can take a bit longer than a CONUS move. But even still, in most cases, you will receive your household goods within a month, if not sooner.

It depends on how backed up the transportation offices, and moving companies are at the time of your move. It could be a considerably shorter timeframe as well.

Good luck!

Coordinating Move to Hawaii with Transportation Office

My husband is in the Army and is stationed in Hawaii. We’ve been trying to find someone to move all our belongings and vehicle but can’t find the right people to contact. We already have our flight scheduled and need to find someone ASAP to come to pick up our stuff. We need a military-friendly moving company here in Louisiana. He has orders to move everything at the Army’s expense. Please contact me back as soon as possible. Thank you so much!!

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You don’t have to find your own moving company to move you to Hawaii. Contact the Transportation Office at the closest military post (it doesn’t even have to be Army), and they can lead you in the right direction for setting up the move. It will not be a big deal if he has orders that allow him to have his household goods shipped.

Though your timetable is VERY short with flights booked for the 4th. You will want to call them as soon as possible. You will probably have to give a POA to a family member who can be there when the movers pack your belongings. The transportation office can also help with that (and refer you to the appropriate sources). Be sure to tell them that you fly out on the 4th.

Good luck!

Moving to Hawaii Without Command Sponsorship

I recently married my husband, who is in the Army and stationed in Hawaii. After waiting 3 weeks, we recently discovered that I was denied family travel entitlements, so my daughter and I are not sponsored dependents.

Now my daughter and I won’t be able to relocate with my husband with the assistance of the Army. Does anyone have any resourceful advice? I was considering just moving to Hawaii (at my own expense, of course) and finding employment independently. Has anyone tried this or have any advice????? Please help!

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I’m going to open this up for others to share their stories. It’s unusual not to be sponsored to join him in Hawaii. I can see if you’re not included on orders as far as moving is concerned since you are very newly married. Hopefully, someone will be along who can assist.

Command Sponsorship for Hawaii

My husband and I have been married for almost 5 months. He got assigned to Fort Shafter, Hawaii, and he had orders with dependents and deferred travel.

He has been there 7 weeks, and we are trying to get the command sponsorship papers done for me to get there. We want to live on base, and they told him the command sponsorship has to be done to be on the waitlist and even for me to get there, but I know people that were there before their command sponsorship was finished.

Is there any way for me to move there with him and get TLA before the command sponsorship is finished, and about how long does it take for the paperwork to get completed in Hawaii? They said it would be done last week, but it still isn’t yet.

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I’m asking a friend of mine who was in Hawaii to stop by and comment on this for you. 🙂 Anyone with experience, please chime in below in the comments.