Loaner Furniture
What happens when you arrive to your next duty station and your household goods are nowhere close to arriving? TLA is about to end since you finally found a home in the area that you love but now, how do you make it comfortable for the time being? Besides your unaccompanied baggage you have zero items to furnish your house with. So, what now? If you are stationed on Oahu there are services offered to Military families to make your PCS a bit better. The Military can offer your loaner furniture while you wait on your HHG to arrive for a period of time not to exceed 90 days. This entitlement applies to U.S. military personnel and Department of Defense (DoD) civilians, accompanied and unaccompanied, who are entitled to a household goods (HHG) shipment. Exceptions or waivers due to mitigating circumstances may be approved by the local housing authority. Navy If you are Navy personnel your loaner furniture delivery can be arranged at your housing brief or at the Housing Services Center. You can also call DSN: (315) 474-1820/1821; COM: (808) 474-1820/1821 for more information. Navy Housing Service Center (for Navy Housing):Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., M-FLocation: 4825 Bougainville Drive, Building 2652Honolulu, Hawaii 96818-3174Contact Information: (808) 448-6887 Air Force If you are Air Force personnel your loaner furniture delivery can be arranged during your arrival housing briefing at the Hickam Housing Management Office, or you can call Tunista, the furnishings contractor, directly at DSN: (315) 448-0300; COM: (808) 448-0300. Hickam Housing Management Office (for Air Force Housing):Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., M-FLocation: 200 Kokomalei Street, Building 6500Honolulu, Hawaii 96818-5402Contact Information: (808) 448-6887 You can also receive temporary dishes and small appliances are available for from the Military and Family Support Center Loan Closet, located in Building 1105 at DSN: (315) 449-0319; COM: (808) 449-0319. Loan Closet hours of operation are Tues and Thurs, 8:00 am to 3:30 pm (Closed 11:00 a.m.-12 noon for lunch). During high PCS times, the loan closet experiences shortages. Please plan accordingly. Hickam Airman's Attic If you still need more items and would like to shop for inexpensive things the Airman’s Attic is a great option. The Airman’s Attic provides gently used or new items that will help Airmen set up house, however you have to be E-6 and below to use the attic and sign up before shopping. Kuntz AvenueJBPHH, HI 96853(808) 449-5677Facebook: Hickam Airman's Attic Due to covid restrictions please call ahead for hours. If you need more options you can always visit the thrift shops on base to help you furnish your home for the time you wait for your HHG. The Hickam Thrift Shop https://hickamosc.wildapricot.org/thriftshop?fbclid=IwAR00rnWziM7a2rQ64Qt0-f2M73CGYQcT90V5G1Ip_uU-3nu2hGVdg0yq2Js The Navy-Marine Corps Relieve Society Thrift Store https://www.nmcrs.org/locations/entry/pearl-harbor Army Fort Shafter Thrift Store http://www.fortshafterhui.com/thrift-shop.html?fbclid=IwAR06Z7BsAMOsEImLp9fBD3va9Sa-a45NpH7ROLbzr2_eCI-7xIZqZdQ4eNw Schofield Barracks Thrift Store http://www.schofieldspousesclub.com/thrift-shop.html We hope these help you while you wait for your HHG to arrive on island. We understand how uncomfortable the process can be!
Moving Out Tips to PCS Like a Pro
We all know that the PCS journey can be full of ups and downs. Making everything work while getting ready to PCS is stressful and even though at times, we rely on military resources to make it all work out it is always better to do as much preparing on your own for a smoother road ahead. Here are some helpful tips to make your pcs process easier and more manageable when it comes to moving out: 1. Declutter your home! Minimal is in, so take advantage of that latest Netflix show on house organization and declutter. This will make packing way simpler and you will not have to worry about every single piece in your home to account for. Something that helps is starting to sell stuff. Once you have hard orders or a pack out day spend a couple days separating the items that could be sold and have a yard sale or team up with your neighbors to have a block yard sale for a better and bigger turn out. If you cannot sell everything you can always donate the items you do not want to your local thrift stores or donations centers. If you do not have the time to drop off donations giving them away to a family who just moved to your neighborhood or posting a curb alert of your community’s Facebook page works too. A resource that always helps is knowing your entitlements before you move and the weight limit allowed for your household. You do not want to go over your limit otherwise the excess comes out of your pocket. For more information on your entitlements you can check out https://move.mil/entitlements 2. Clean up! Once you have a date for your move and have started decluttering it is a good idea to start doing some cleaning around your home so that in the end your house whether selling or renting will not have much to work on last minute. If you are living on military housing start making a list of things that need to be replaced such as blinds, door handles and stoppers; and home repairs that maintenance can take care of before you let your housing office know you are moving …work on making your moving out cost minimal. You can visit your leasing office and request a move out check list to know everything that will be expected from you when you leave. 3. One room at the time. Life will be chaotic, do not make it a bigger mess. Start working on your move out check list one room at the time. Start decluttering, cleaning, labeling per room instead of making a huge mess in your living room or all over the house. Start labeling items from each room to keep everything organized, color coding works too! Pack items how you want to find them as you unpack or put items together in groups for the movers to know they go together. Get rid of things you do not want packed otherwise the movers will put in a box for your next duty station. 4. Proof We all know and have heard stories of pcs moves gone wrong, things getting damaged during shipping, items missing… take photos and make notes of the items you cherish, the items that are expensive and the items that have a bit too many pieces. Take photos of your TVs with the screen on, take photos of your collection pieces, your exercise equipment, anything fragile… The claims process might be easier if you are better prepared. 5. Create a binder Organization is key. You do not want to leave out anything important you might need. Creating a binder with all the information you might need during your move is very important and can be very helpful. You can have everything in it: passports, shot records, household goods inventory, copy of orders, marriage certificate, travel reservations, insurance documents and more. HHG can take up to more than 6 weeks depending on where you are heading to. You really want certain documents on hand to get started once you arrive to your destination. 6. Moving out with children. Make specific lists for your children, more so if they tend to like certain items that might make your life easier. That stuffed animal your baby sleeps with every night (don’t let the movers take him), the night light your daughter has to have on (staying with you), a light stroller for travel (don’t let it go), the tablets for games, the pacifiers, the headphones, activities for traveling (put them aside, you will need them). 7. Unaccompanied baggage. You are entitled for unaccompanied baggage for Oconus moves. This is a small subset from your allowed weight that is expedited to your new duty station. Use unaccompanied baggage to pack items that you will need faster than your HHG. Many families pack some kitchen items like pots and pans, cutlery, bedding, towels, work uniforms, pack and plays, baby carriages, light housekeeping items… Unaccompanied baggage is usually packed by movers prior to your set HHG pack out date. Make a check list for these items to know what you will need. 8. Show some appreciation! The day your movers come show them a little appreciation and treat them to some lunch. Many families order pizza others have cold beverages and snacks available. Whatever it is showing that you appreciate their work goes a long way. You can also ask them if they have a preference according to your budget. Some movers will not want anything but drinks. Good to ask. 9. Keep your receipts. The military will cover most of your move, that means they will need your receipts to make reimbursements on your spending. Anything from hotel stays, per diem allowance for meals and incidentals and pov mileage. Keep receipts on your move out walk through inspection, utilities when closing accounts… You do not want a local company billing you for service that you did not use and it is good to have proof. 10. Do not ship small valuables. Things like cash and jewelry should be with you throughout your move. Do not have the movers pack it. Things like these can travel with you to your next destination. Hopefully you can use these tips through out your move out experience to make things a bit less hectic. It is also great to use community pages such as this one to ask others about their own experience. The military community is always great at sharing information on what worked for them during their pcs.
Military Housing
Looking for your new home on island has one major deciding factor: On base or off base? If you have decided that the best option for your family is to live on base then this article will give you all the information you need to start the process. First let’s talk about all the Military housing offices and their locations. This will help you understand which branches live where and the location in relation to your work area. Hickam Communities Hickam Communities is located on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam on the Air Force (Hickam side). Their leasing center and hours are as follows: Leasing Center 200 Kokomalei St.,Honolulu, HI 96818Tel: 888-329-4758Fax: 808-423-2301Monday-Friday 8am-5pm You can start the application process online before you arrive to the island if you want and bring all documentation in once you arrive and have an appointment with the leasing office. You will need: - Official Hawaii Orders and all amendments - Leave Form (or documentation stating when the Service Member checked out of their past Command) - Current end of month LES - Flight Itinerary for the Service Member and all dependents. Hickam communities has 5 different communities inside the installation that you can choose from depending on rank and family size. Earhart, Hale Na Koa I, Hale Na Koa II, Officer Field and Onizuka. There are also 2 schools on Hickam which are Hickam Elementary and Mokulele Elementary. Amenities include: Free Resident Events, Harbor-front Running Trails, Exclusive On-base Beach Access, On-base Restaurants and Shopping, Lawncare, Gated Community, On-site Maintenance, splash parks, playgrounds. You can find all information and point of contacts using the link below: https://www.hickamcommunities.com/ Ohana -Hunt Military Communities Ohana Hunt housing is located at different locations all over Oahu. Some housing neighborhoods are on installations while others are off base military housing. Office: (808) 839-4357Leasing Phone: (877) 494-8370Maintenance Requests: (808) 839-HELP (4357)Property Contact Email: navyhawaii@huntcompanies.com Ohana Military Communities - Navy Leasing Office: 3349 Catlin Drive, Honolulu HI 96818Honolulu, HI 96818 You can create an account and fill out an application online or visit their leasing office. https://www.huntmilitarycommunities.com/portal?pid=44&t=m Their many communities are listed in the link below along with their location information. https://www.ohananavycommunities.com/find-a-home?&form_action=active-duty Amenities: They have a variety of amenities depending on the community you choose to live in. Fenced backyards, water views, walking paths, community centers, playgrounds, landscaping… Island Palms Communities Island Palms Communities has housing areas in different locations on Oahu to include Schofield, Wheeler and Ft. Shafter bases. You can contact them at their North Region office and according to the area you are looking to move into they will send your information to the leasing office in that location. North Regional Office215 Duck RoadSchofield Barracks, HI 96857phone:(877) 487-4323fax: (808) 275-3101 You can apply online however the date of eligibility goes according to the date on your leave form not the date on the application. https://www.islandpalmcommunities.com/Apartments/module/application_authentication/popup/false/kill_session/1/property%5Bid%5D/204080/property[id]/204080/show_in_popup/false/kill_session/1/ Island palms has a variety of amenities to include community classes such as Zumba and Yoga, basketball courts, playgrounds, community centers to rent, splash parks, self-help center… You can find the floor plans and all community information using the link below: https://www.islandpalmcommunities.com/ There is something for everyone and the housing communities on island work to make your life on Oahu a better place. Contact your local housing community if you have any questions! You can also join us on Facebook to ask current residents what they like or don’t like about the community they live in. Daniella Horne Freelance blogger, Military Spouse, Social Media Coordinator for Blue Star Families Hawaii, and Motherhood and lifestyle Blogger for Momma & Sprouts.
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