eleven military bases

Most military schools in Honolulu, Hawaii are renowned for their rigorous academic standards. These are not the kinds of places for kids struggling in school. Instead, the aim is to challenge your son or daughter and set them up to meet the entrance requirements of the top universities in the country.

Alexandria, Virginia

The Island Palm Communities are managed by Winn Companies. They serve military families stationed at Schofield Barracks, Wheeler AAF and Helemano Military Reservation, Fort Shafter, Tripler AMC, JBPHH, or Camp Smith.

Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) COLA is an entitlement while stationed in Hawaii to help offset the high cost of living. It ranges from about $500 – $1,500 a month and is determined by rank, time in service, number of dependents, and whether you are assigned to barracks.

PCS Entitlements

Almost everything in Hawaii is more expensive, but not new cars….Living Hawaii: The Surprising Price Tag for New Car Buyers in the Islands.

Military members who are assigned or deployed to a designated combat zone are paid a monthly special pay, known as combat pay (or Imminent Danger Pay). The amount paid is $225 per month for all ranks.

Active duty military members can retire after 20 years of active duty service. In exchange, they receive retirement pay for life. However, if you spread that out for another 40 years of living, retirement pay has reached a $1 million retirement package.

Service members do not have to pay for internet connections, food or travel expenses etc. while deployed. Even if a service member misses a connecting flight, the military takes care of this. If someone you met online claims to be stranded in an airport, do not send them money.

With the ease of social media, in any part of the globe at any time, a Soldier, Army civilian, or family member can post pictures from a deployment or talk about an Army mission.

For officers and enlisted people who do not reside in the dormitories, the military pays a monetary allowance for food. When enlisted members who received BAS are deployed, they used to lose the BAS during the time of deployment (because they received “free meals” at the deployment location chow hall).

How To Avoid Losing Money to a Romance Scammer

1. Stop communicating with the person immediately.
2. Talk to someone you trust, and pay attention if your friends or family say they’re concerned about your new love interest.
3. Do a search for the type of job the person has to see if other people have heard similar stories.

Know what to look for

1. you don’t know contacts you out of the blue.
2. you’ve never met in person asks for money.
3. asks you to pay for something or to give them money through unusual payment methods such as gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrencies.

Scammers can fake video calls. Someone who keeps putting off the video call may be shy—or you may be. So another alternative is to ask questions that expose him.

How to Spot a Scam

1. You are contacted out of the blue.
2. You are required to send money upfront in order to receive a prize.
3. You are asked to send money via a wire transfer or “reload pack.”
4. You are asked to provide personal or financial information.
5. You are asked to keep it a secret.
6. You are asked to act quickly.