Hawaii and Germany BTDTs

[NcDeuce]

For those who have been stationed in either Germany or Hawaii, I was just curious to see what you thought of these posts.

I may be going to Hickam AFB, Schofield Barracks, or Giebelstadt this summer after leaving Ft. Lewis. If there are any other places that were well worth your stay, I'd like to hear about them. Thanks.

[2Sheds_Jackson]

I was stationed at Wheeler AFB (now Wheeler Army Air Station I think?) -it's across the street from Schofield Barracks. What can you say about Hawaii - it's frickin' Hawaii. I spent a lot of time on Schofield at the auto hobby shop, the PX, also at Pearl, Hickam, and Barbers Point (which I think is closed now?) and Bellows AFS. Surfing on Christmas day, absolutely amazing scenery, lots of historical stuff to visit - I had a blast. Lots of war stories to tell.:) The one drawback is that unless you have the $$ to fly to other islands, it does get a bit tedious after a year or so. You can drive around the whole island in a day. It is very expensive there...so a lot of the guys not making a lot of money tended to wind up as "barracks rats" instead of getting out and enjoying the island. Just my .02.

[Deuterium]

I have two tours in Germany, Bad Toelz and Stuttgart. I can't say enough about being in Germany. My first tour was as a single guy and the second I was married. If you go to Germany single you'll probably not make it back to the US single one way or another.

That said you DO have to make the effort to learn the language and culture. Though Germans are very much like us they do have their quirks. The guys that learn a little German and get OUT of the barracks have a blast. If you are not willing to learn some German you will have a crappy time. German isn't very hard, especially if you get a "long haired dictoinary" early on.

You are also in Europe so almost any other country is just a short day trip away. It's not like here in the States were you have to take spend days driving to your destination.

[NcDeuce]

Great thanks fellas

[jizzmonkey]

I was stationed at Wheeler AFB (now Wheeler Army Air Station I think?) -it's across the street from Schofield Barracks. What can you say about Hawaii - it's frickin' Hawaii. I spent a lot of time on Schofield at the auto hobby shop, the PX, also at Pearl, Hickam, and Barbers Point (which I think is closed now?) and Bellows AFS. Surfing on Christmas day, absolutely amazing scenery, lots of historical stuff to visit - I had a blast. Lots of war stories to tell.:) The one drawback is that unless you have the $$ to fly to other islands, it does get a bit tedious after a year or so. You can drive around the whole island in a day. It is very expensive there...so a lot of the guys not making a lot of money tended to wind up as "barracks rats" instead of getting out and enjoying the island. Just my .02.
I left Schofiled in 2000 and most of barbers point had been turned over to the state for low-income housing...the beach was still open...I learned how to surf on that beach...it was the ****.....you are right..the cost of living sucks..its one thing to visit hawaii, and a reeeaally different thing to live there.

[Blackburn]

Welcome in Germany :)
Yeah, it's better when you learn German.
'cauze our girls likes the american soldiers... :P :D
I have a lot of friends, who are americans 'cauze
their dad's were in the Army...and don't left
our beautiful Germany :P
-And get married! ^^ :P

SO:
LEARN GERMAN :D

*salute*

[dunkin]

I'm there right now (close to Giebelstadt). I love being here (when I'm here).

I agree you need to learn, at least a little of the language. Makes it easier to get around, and if you go into a store and try German and mess it up they will usually switch to English, or correct you and help you out.

If you single the barracks suck, so get out as often as you can, if you married, or are high enough rank to live off, I would suggest you do. You can get away from the military life for just a little. Housing on base is in apartments and the walls are paper thin so you can hear everything, and they can hear everything.

For Giebelstadt, you will be by Wurzburg which has a huge PX, and commissary, and it's close to the middle of Germany so you can travel to any place in Germany in a day, and most of Europe within two.

Can't say much for Hawaii, never been there.

[2Sheds_Jackson]

Yeah the language thing goes for Hawaii too. Some words I remember

Plenny = a lot "give me plenny rice, brah"
Kamaaina = a local person
Haole = just about everybody else
Da Kine = anything you can't think of the name of "give me da kine, brah"
Howzit = hello
Stink Eye = to give someone, such as a Haole, a dirty look
Gecko = critter that keeps the giant bugs out of your room & can scare the crap outta you when he's sitting on the snooze button of your alarm clock at 5AM.

Initially I thought Mahalo meant "trash", since it's on all McDonalds and Burger King trash container lids...but it means "thanks".

[Blackburn]

dunkin:
How far is Giebelstadt from Wuerzburg away?
'cauze I need the Nomex-gloves and I would
like to buy the Army Sportpullover. Do you know?
...But it's not allowed to enter the Base without ID-Card.

See ya