Your Name (if you would like it to appear): Krystle Miller
Base Name: Schofield Barracks/Wheeler AAF
Base Location: Oahu island, Hawaii
How long have you been here? (give years please, ex. 2003-present)
Wheeler from summer 2008-Dec 2008, during my hubby’s deployment I moved back home, then Schofield feb2010-present
What is housing like? On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.) Off-post? Any areas to stay away from? Average price to rent or buy?
The wait list for both Wheeler and Schofield is a few weeks, so get with them asap if you plan on living on post. Housing conditions differ from slummy apartment style to really nice newer housing. Housing management are really friendly but they take awhile to get back with you on anything, so be persistent. It is worth it though to live on post here. Off post housing is expensive, about $2000 for 2 bd apt in slummy areas. There’s Wahiawa right outside of base, a few things to do there but i don’t recommend living there, a lot of Wahiawa doesn’t look safe and you wouldn’t catch me there at night. Some people stationed here at SB live in Ewa Beach area, which i’ve heard is nice but a bit of a drive.
Rate the PX & Commissary.
The PX is very nice on SB, clean with friendly employees. there is some venders there usually that sell some really cool hawaiian stuff too, and the food court has an indoor play area for kids. The Commissary is ok, the prices are competitive and usually low but the produce is slim pick’ins and sometimes they aren’t well stocked. i recommend Safeway on Mehula rd for produce. Also, there is a really awesome NEX that is huge and worth checking out.
Activities on base?
There’s an Arts and Craft bldg that always has fun classes if you’re into artsy stuff too with pottery to paint, sewing classes, and a full schedule of activities. There’s a Swimming pool, plenty off parks, a small movie theater & bowling. The weather here is usually nice and perfect for being active outdoors.
Active Spouses Club?
I don’t really know any specific ones but i think there’s a few
Things to do in area?
The best thing about being here is being close to so many gorgeous beaches. SB is located on the middle of the island but a fun day in the sand is not that far away. There’s so many cool beaches to check out and some are government owned that are a bit cleaner and you can rent gear for surfing, kayaks,& snorkeling. I recommend going to the Wahiawa Botanical Garden, it’s free and a nice walk through some gorgeous greenery. Mililani Town is right down the road for some close shopping and dinning without having to battle too much traffic. North shore Historic town is nice too. Traffic can get really really bad sometimes here so try to avoid rush hours, a short drive can take FOREVER if you time it wrong. Sometimes it feels like a different country, so far away from home, with street names I can’t even pronounce and outside of base the locals are not always friendly but don’t let that stop you from getting out there and having fun. It is gorgeous here, enjoy the natural beauty and have a blast !
School System?
Our son is too young for school but i’ve not heard good things about the schools on post. Friends whose kids go to school here have said how over crowded it is, one friends daughter was switched classes three times in one year just because the school is shuffling kids around trying to accommodate the surplus of students. from a couple different moms i’ve heard complaints that their kids teachers have attitude and seem to not care. It’s unfortunate but there’s not a lot of options here since on an island.
Any colleges in area?
Not sure but if you’re interested in going to college here, check out the ED center located on the second floor in Sgt. Yano Library.
Jobs? (on post and off)
I haven’t looked into that.
Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city?
The people on base here are really nice. Be nice and you’ll get niceness in return. The best thing about being stationed here is the natural beauty of the island. It rains a bit but ya can’t have a such greenery without it. The Hibiscus bushes on base are always in bloom with amazing colors and some of the trees here are just absolutely breath taking. Mother nature really goes all out.
Least favorite aspect?
The surrounding city is my least fav aspect. Wahiawa has a nice garden that i mentioned but other than that it’s a thumbs down. though Mililani isn’t bad. The locals are not the nicest and i’ve been cut off in traffic off base here more than anywhere else we’ve lived combined. Since it is very tropical here, there’s alot of bugs. the insects can be a nuisance but you just got to be extra clean. keep all food sealed up, we use alot of tupper wear, and if you keep your home clean and yard cut short the bugs don’t get too bad.
Local websites? (base, chamber, newspaper, schools, etc.)
this was really helpful. my husband and I will be moving there in December for his first duty station at wheeler. I was wondering, does the army pay for our furniture and vehicle and belongings to be shipped as well as our plane tickets there??
As long as his orders state that.
Thanks! This really helped me too! My fiance and I are getting married soon but many suggested we get married first (to get paperwork done). We don’t have his car yet so we would have to borrow one of his friends. Is there somewhere on base that could marry us to speed things up? What do you suggest besides persistancy that would aid us in getting housing and other essentials faster?