Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam
Navy, Air Force and assigned personnel: use the installation directory for sponsorship, check-in, housing and family services.
Official information ↗MILITARY MEMBERS & FAMILIES
PCSing to Hawaiʻi
Start your permanent change of station with the right contacts, a practical arrival plan, and room to settle in.
Sources reviewed September 21, 2026. Your orders, receiving command and servicing offices determine your requirements and allowances.
Start with your receiving command
Confirm your sponsor, report date, check-in location and after-hours contact before booking your arrival. Keep orders, IDs and essential records in your carry-on. Use your installation’s newcomer instructions for your service and assignment.
U.S. Army Garrison Hawaiʻi
Schofield Barracks, Fort Shafter and Army assignments: start with USAG Hawaiʻi’s installation directory and your unit sponsor.
Official information ↗Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi
Use the Welcome Aboard resources and your receiving unit for Kāneʻohe Bay and other Marine Corps assignments.
Official information ↗Coast Guard & other assignments
For Coast Guard, Guard, Reserve, civilian and neighbor-island orders, locate the exact receiving unit through MilitaryINSTALLATIONS or your orders. Ask your sponsor for local arrival instructions; an Oʻahu checklist may not fit your island.
Official information ↗Build your move plan
Military OneSource’s Plan My Move helps organize tasks around your destination and household. Relocation assistance can connect you to local support.
Official information ↗Housing, temporary lodging & your budget
Arrange temporary lodging early
Ask your sponsor or housing office which lodging to contact first, whether a non-availability letter is required, and which current hotels qualify. Confirm pet rooms and cancellation terms before paying.
Official information ↗Confirm TLA before relying on reimbursement
Temporary Lodging Allowance is not automatic. Ask your servicing office about eligibility, approved lodging, required receipts, housing-search records and claim deadlines. A hotel’s government rate alone does not establish eligibility.
Official information ↗Choose a home around the actual commute
Compare the gate you will use, shift times, school trips, parking, utilities and pet restrictions. Contact the installation housing office before committing to a lease and ask about on-base or privatized housing options and waitlists.
Official information ↗Planning budget: temporary lodging, deposits, vehicle rental, fuel, utilities, pet transport and a cushion while shipments arrive. Confirm BAH, COLA and travel entitlements with finance for your own orders and family situation.
Pets, household goods & vehicles
Start pet preparation first
Hawaiʻi has specific animal-import requirements. Use the state’s current checklist for your species and arrival airport; coordinate veterinary work, documents, inspections and airline space well ahead of travel. Direct release is conditional, not automatic. Neighbor-island arrivals have their own procedures.
Hawaiʻi animal quarantine instructions ↗Book household goods through your move office
Confirm shipment authorizations and dates with your transportation office. Photograph your inventory and keep medicine, documents, uniforms, chargers and arrival essentials with you. Ask how to report delivery issues and claims.
Official information ↗Plan for time without your vehicle
Ask your transportation office about privately owned vehicle shipment eligibility, vehicle-processing instructions and required documents. Confirm Hawaiʻi registration, inspection and insurance steps with the appropriate county and installation before pickup.
Official information ↗Schools, child care & continuity of care
School transfer
Contact the school liaison and receiving school about enrollment, attendance boundaries, immunization records, transcripts and special-education documents. Match school planning to your likely home address.
Official information ↗Request child care
Explore military child-care options and submit your family’s requests through MilitaryChildCare.com. Ask the installation about availability, placement and backup arrangements before your first duty day.
Military child-care portal ↗TRICARE, prescriptions & referrals
Do not disenroll before moving. Follow TRICARE’s move instructions, update your address in DEERS after the move and confirm enrollment on arrival. Coordinate prescription supply, referrals and ongoing care with your current care team.
TRICARE moving checklist ↗Family support & spouse employment
Ask your installation family support center about relocation assistance, the Exceptional Family Member Program, employment support and a loan closet for essentials while household goods are in transit.
Find installation support ↗Your arrival checklist
- Before flying: reconfirm sponsor pickup, pet arrangements, lodging, report instructions and the documents everyone needs.
- Arrival day: contact your sponsor, complete any pet inspection, reach your lodging and keep itemized receipts.
- First duty days: complete unit check-in and housing/finance appointments within your command’s deadlines.
- First weeks: confirm health coverage, school and child-care arrangements, shipment delivery, vehicle steps and your longer-term home.
For help finding the right office, Military OneSource offers support at 800-342-9647. Moving support ↗
Make time to get to know Hawaiʻi
Use your installation’s MWR or ticket office to ask about current military offers and eligibility. Plan an unhurried visit to Pearl Harbor, explore local food, and learn the history of the place you’ll call home.