Field notes
The guide shelf
Everything on this site that isn't a number: process guides for the parts of a Hawaii PCS that paperwork alone doesn't cover.
Spouse employment on Oahu
License portability through DCCA, why nurses can't use a compact license here, the remote-work math, and where the real programs live.
The school transition, managed
Records, enrollment, the early calendar, and the Interstate Compact — in the order that works.
Does Hawaii have DoDEA schools?
No — every military kid attends the statewide Hawaii DOE system. School Liaison Officer contacts by service branch.
Utilities, honestly
The highest electric rates in the country, the AC question, and the two internet providers.
Healthcare & TRICARE
The enrollment sequence, the geography of care, and the EFMP fine print.
Childcare: start now
MilitaryChildCare.com, who runs fee assistance by branch (checked Oct 18), and the Hawaii in-home care pilot.
Accompanied orders & EFMP
Hawaii runs accompanied-orders and EFMP screening, not foreign-style command sponsorship.
Vehicle shipping, end to end
The one-POV entitlement, PCSmyPOV, the real timeline, the gap-car math, and the 30-day registration clock.
Registering your car in Hawaii
The safety-inspection sequence and 30-day clock, what the CS-L(MVR)50 waives (all but $20.50 a year), and the out-of-state permit option.
TLA lodging field notes
Base lodging by installation, the Hale Koa option, and the off-base filters that matter.
Pets to Hawaii: the quarantine clock
Two rabies shots, the FAVN test, the 30-day wait, $185 airport release and the 10-day paperwork rule, from the state's checklist.
Household goods to Hawaii
The OCONUS move in three shipments — unaccompanied baggage, the sea shipment, storage, pro-gear, and DPS booking.
TLA & interim housing
The wheels-down-to-keys sequence, plus DTMO's TLA rules: the 60-day cap, the search requirement and departure TLA.
The on-base waitlist, decoded
HEAT's real role, Island Palm's 7-day backdating rule, and what declining an offer costs your position.
The commute-first decision
Gate, corridor, pocket, rent — in that order — and the 0630 drive test that settles it.
Rent or buy with a VA loan?
The honest framework: the PCS break-even horizon, what BAH reaches at island prices, and the forced-exit risk.
Leasehold vs. fee simple
The countdown clock hiding in ordinary condo searches: the VA 14-year rule, renegotiation risk, and the four lease numbers to pull before offering.
HARPTA, in detail
The 7.25% withholding on the amount realized, why residency alone doesn't exempt you, and the Form N-288B 10-working-day clock.
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