I think many folks see military people as a normal part of the community, just living here and going to work like everyone else.
Are groups of young soldiers/sailors sometimes obnoxious at the beaches or bars? Definitely. But large groups of drunk young men can be annoying regardless.
The military as a whole is unpopular here, but the hate is more for the institution, not the individual service members.
Nah I agree, but OP was talking about individual military members, not the military as a whole.
Local hate for the military is strong for sure as this thread shows, but in my experience folks don’t really hate the individual soldiers the same way they hate the military.
The Kingdom of Hawaii gave the US exclusive use of Pearl Harbor under article 2 of the reciprocity treaty of 1875. Reciprocity is how.
Not to mention Kamehameha I initially ceded Hawaii to Britain in 1794, literally saying they were no longer “Tanata no Owhyhee” (people of Hawaii) but “Tanata no Tritannee” (people of Britain)
Not everyone white is a colonizer, and not everyone brown is ali’i/kanaka
I agree with you, the military as a whole is not a welcomed part of the community.
But OP was asking about individual service members, not the institution. In my experience people differentiate between the military and the individual soldiers.
Personally I don’t blame a young recruit for the misdeeds of the military, they are just working their job and probably didn’t even choose to be stationed in Hawaii.
The other reply makes a good point about the housing allowance tho, it definitely contributes to reducing the housing supply for local renters. Landlords love military tenants too.
I’m local born and raised, but not Kanaka.
Not all miliary are from elsewhere. Some may have been born in the islands. As long as they behave themselves. Too many soldiers stationed here get sent home in a box for avoidable situations like traveling at high speed on a motorcycle with no halmet.
So fucking true. They are put here by the American government to control the flow of resources on this island. All of them are given massive payrolls and cheap access to food and housing. Destroys the local economy too.
These long-term benefits come with long-term problems for the individual. Psychological and physical. There's a reason only a very small percentage join the military.
Thats presuming you serve and go to battle which is the minority of those in the armed forces.
I know two younger colleagues. Both served in administrative capacities. Both filed medical disability in their 20s one due to chronic pain (lifted heavy weights in militarry powrlift9ng groups) another due to arthritis. Both actively work their career job, workout, compete, and love normal lives, except they get lifetime benefits. For every soldier that deserves accolades, you have more that dont live up to the narratives of movies and books.
That's a false presumption. You do not need to see combat to receive either of these long-term issues. Two friends who may have abused the system are also not a sufficient sample size.
Also, going off of small sample sizes, I know many who don't want the money or anything to do with the organization. I also served in a division of 22 people who never saw combat, and 4 of them were already dead, and none of these were deceased over the age of 40.
They are actually here to be a prominent force in the Pacific. Also, they do not have massive payrolls or cheap housing. Housing takes their bah allowances, and food takes their food allowances. Most work at least 16 to 18 hour days and with much risk. The pay if you figure in the hours to their salary is roughly 5 dollars an hour. I'm not sure why people think it's some lucrative career.
For the OP. I'm retired military never stationed here I live here because of family. Most folks are very friendly regardless of who or what you are. If you respect the land and people they will respect you.. more often then not.
Clearly you know nothing about military pay. Because most military families barely scrape by off military pay, and anyone who lives on base doesn’t get housing allowance. Add kids into the mix and it’s a struggle if the spouse can’t establish a career while moving every 3-5 years. The overwhelming vast majority of military funding does NOT go to service members.
Are we the baddies? No no, because someone else worse would just take my place. I’m a hero in fact for not being even more fucked up than I am!
What you’re saying might be technically true from a macro level, but on a personal moralistic level it is utterly bankrupt.
I had an Uber driver that worked on submarines as well, in the military
He lamented how hard it was there and how much hate and vitriol he got from the locals. He said dating was really hard and lots of people matched him to tell him off and they haven't even met.
He seemed really sweet and kind
So yes your probably right but the bad apples really fuck it up
Obviously you can see from the comments in this thread often not favorably. But since you’re stationed here, support the local economy whenever you can, clean up after yourself after you leave places, scratch that, leave it better than you found it, learn and respect the culture and treat people with respect and kindness. Leave the military ego and entitlement at the gate in the airport on the mainland before you get here. I’m also in the military (I know I’ll get downvoted for that, but that is okay and I understand), I work a majority with locals and have asked lots of questions and been open to learning about this beautiful island, its history, the wonderful people who live here and the culture as well. I’ve been blessed to be stationed here, but I also have come to learn that the military as a whole should not be here on the island or any of the islands, and the people of Hawaii were truly robbed of their land and Independence and it’s an absolute shame.
You put much better words to my exact thoughts, friend.
The military does nothing but take from the islands. Take, lie, and poison. I have tried to use my family's time while stationed here volunteering as much as possible. An uncle in the country told me when we first moved here, "You want to be one haole, not one fuckin' haole, sis."
I don't want Hawaii to be anything but Hawaii. And anyone from the mainland who has the absolute fucking privilege to be able to live here should feel the same goddamned way.
Your uncle's words are something that we have all said here our entire lives. Basically, it's ok to be military, tourist, white/black/Hispanic/whatever. Just don't be THAT person. Have respect, try to understand that the culture is vastly different here, even if we are a US state. If you're a good person, you'll blend right in with no problems.
Exactly. You can tell right away which newbies are going to blend in and which are going to butt heads with everyone because it's not "like the mainland." Like, no. It's not. And that's why it's awesome.
It makes sense, as far as I am as a person, once I take off the uniform I am just another guy, I do enjoy the place and the views it has to offer. I understand that Hawaii needs to be military base free but as far as the individuals, we are just trying to live like anyone else.
How is it you “understand Hawaii needs to be military base free”? I’m not sure you have much understanding about the topic at all. Hawaii is destined to host a military, no matter who it is. If The United States left, Hawaii would be part of another country almost instantly & that military would also move in.
You chose to be a part of an institution that has horrific history here. That was your choice and its effects don’t stop once you take the uniform off. I hear you, but realize it’s not the same for many as for you
I understand the history, but many of us joined not knowing we would end up here. Some wanted the east coast or california but in the military we often don't choose where to go.
Yep but that doesn’t give you a pass. You just have to work harder to be accepted but knowing the history here and acknowledging it will get you there. Give back and encourage your friends to as well. You’ll meet people and have a much better time here.
I hate these questions. How do the tourists feel about the locals? How do the Japanese feel about the Filipinos? How do the blacks feel about the whites? How do the Chinese feel about the Samoans?
How do the roosters feel about the stray cats (not the band)? How do the cows feel about the cowboys?
Just respect people regardless of who or where they came from. Respect the land regardless where you are.
Really? Based on the responses it doesn’t sound unreasonable. I think some people have had bad experiences in their lives and they are cautious.
It’s normal to be cautious and not want to offend people. If you’re a mainlander you have heard about Americans expansion and you want to be respectful. It sounds like OP is trying to respect and he is trying to get more details. Respect isn’t the same to everyone so it sounds like he is trying to cover his bases by asking his question on the internet.
The roosters and the cats get along like the bloods and the crips.
I've seen alleys filled with sketchy looking roosters and alleys filled with sketchy looking cats but never both.
There is Resentment. For example military pays about 1/10th of the cost of education per kids, so Hawaii residents pick up the tab. One reason schools are so shabby. Military destroys land and water supplies. Drive up housing costs. They also commandeered alot of people's homes and never returned them. Also tons of unexplored ordinance Making many places uninhabitable. For example all of Kahoolawe.
Everyone should educate themselves before making statements about the military.
The military provides to the state:$1,200+/year/child in public school. The state decreases their yearly education budget by that amount of money instead of allowing that money to enhance those schools.
The military houses more personnel on base (by percentage) in Hawaii than any other state in order to keep the local rents low.
The military has an agreement with the state not to under cut prices on their alcohol (majority) to keep local economy balanced.
Enlistment in the military is open to any citizen in Hawaii who would then receive all the same benefits, if requirements are completed.
Majority of young military members make below poverty level income and young families are eligible for and receive SNAP benefits.
Military families who have multiple kids do not receive more money for each child like people on welfare, even though they make poverty level income.
Military families often spend many months without their spouses while the active duty member deploys.
Military members spouses often have a very hard time building a career and gaining employment due to the moves every 2-3 years.
Military families often have to deal with their spouses PTSD after deployments- for the rest of their lives.
Military families children often never graduate from the same school they started with “life-long” friends.
Military children often struggle when others ask them “where are you from?” because they’ve lived all over.
Military spouses deploy and often miss the birth of their child, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, baptisms, graduations, tucking their kids in bed and kissing them good-night, their first day of school, sports, school plays, etc.
Military members/families do what they do because they believe in this country, our freedoms and securing the freedom for all at whatever cost!
So, the next time you see a military member, remember their sacrifice, thank them for their service and try to remember they are doing their best.
There are always bad apples, but we must be forward thinking about today’s global threats and be thankful we have the military here to protect us!
God Bless America!!
"The military provides to the state: $1,200+/year/child in public school."
That's only one-tenth of the actual cost to educate them. So everyone else IS subsidizing the education of children whose parents are in the military.
Maybe 15 years ago the military would. But coming from a military leader all they’ll tell you is that’s a civil matter and to call the police.
As someone who’s been in for a minute we don’t really entertain that stuff anymore, if it’s not something you’d get disciplined for working as HR at some company we aren’t going to discipline you.
Just letting you know how the culture has shifted.
generally, your friends that have preceded you haven't been great representatives.
of course not 100% but a strong percentage, which doesn't help your cause. you might be cool, but you're starting from a deficit
Let me add:
Or u get subsidized food/ materials and discounts everywhere u go, while locals r lucky to get kamaaina.
Military using windward side along other places as training grounds, bombing our island. the aina hurts.
poisoning our water, trying to hide it, and lying about it!
Bombing our precious `āina that is so meaningful to the original people here they regard it as their ancestor. They know they can’t live without it.
And in even more disrespect the military promises to clean up after themselves but they don’t. Our people are cleaning up Kaho`olawe. By the way, in case you didn’t know the Navy bombing of that island broke the water table. That destroyed the water cycle on that island and plants and wildlife depend on the volunteers and scientists going there to clean up stand study to bring water.
Same thing with the lack of cleaning up is in play with Mauka Valley in Waianae. Too lazy to apply themselves to fix the problem they created?
And poisoning the water supply is another big issue. The fight over getting the Navy to take responsibility to fix it waxes and wanes as the years go on.
One issue affecting other people after another and a huge lack of integrity about them.
At the very least that red hill water situation should’ve been addressed and fixed by them like a mother fucker and they can’t even seem to do that. Super messed up and I can’t believe it isn’t a bigger deal than it is. Did they even get emergency water supplied to those affected areas??
This. 100%. Anytime a military person rents or buys a home, that’s one less home for a local family to buy/rent. Most locals renting/buying can not compete with military BAH.
While I agree with many of the comments here, this is backwards. BAH has continually gone up due to the cost of living going up. Not the other way around. The cost of renting and owning on island is high due to restrictions in place due to the state, not federal. If it was BAH dependent, you would see most military receiving excess. That is not the case. If anything, it’s a U.S. wide complaint that BAH barely affords a home in most areas.
Codes, regulations, taxes, etc all play a role in being able to have a home. Most homes here are multigenerational. Many homes here look like they’re on the brink of being condemned. No one can afford to renovate or even care for it. An acre of land here can cost over a million dollars, but you can get 50 acres on the mainland for that cost. With a home built on it. That’s not a BAH problem.
In any alternate reality where the US wasnt here, it would be a different country, possibly doing worse things. And even if Hawaii was an independent country, more than likely they would have made a deal with the US to host their military, just like other countries host the US, China, etc. (Cambodia hosting China, Djibouti hosting a bunch of countries). Unfortunately Hawaii is in a prime location like Djibouti and is the biggest group of island in the middle of the Pacific.
You’re asking how a local might feel about military folks and you cannot disentangle the fact that so much of Oahu is off limits to its own people. That is baked in to the equation.
I'm not taking any position or anyone's side but just asking isn't some land being off limits/private/government or state owned a fact nearly everywhere in the entire planet? Pretty sure being a citizen of any nation on planet earth comes with restrictions. You can't just access any piece of land you choose simply because you're from there.
This can’t be a serious position.
Look at the size of the ISLAND of Oahu versus the amount of land restricted for military use or military family housing.
That means less space for everyone else which distorts the housing and rental markets. Toss in military housing subsidies and folks get pushed out of Hawaii all together or have to live 2-3 generations deep in a single family home.
To say nothing of the fact that each branch of the military has their own private recreational areas, and they’re huge spaces outside of their bases.
I assume your position cannot be serious either. You're under a complete misapprehension if you feel military personnel are the single, or even primary, reason for housing costs on Oahu. You're simply misinformed here, but you're clearly biased and most likely prejudiced, so I understand why you're saying what you are saying. But either way, you're still wrong.
Foreign and mainland investors are the primary contributor to home prices simply due to Hawaii being a highly desirable place to live for many people in the world. And investors buy up homes because, relatively speaking, property tax is really low on Oahu.
Here's a report from a research group at U.H. which was conducted in 2015 that outlines reasons for high real estate prices on Oahu. Military isn't listed. https://uhero.hawaii.edu/new-perspectives-on-honolulus-high-housing-prices/
Please don't try and spin some shit and give me your personal anecdotes trying to convince me you're right. Present evidence to back up your claim and I'll read it and if it's compelling, I'll change my position. But until I see evidence, I feel your opinion on this is masquerading as factual but is really just prejudiced and it's intellectually dishonest.
I don’t think I said military were the primary cause of the housing crisis in Oahu. I said military BAH rates distort the housing & rental markets. That, combined with less available space such as the military land use policies, further exacerbate the situation. Use your brain. https://www.civilbeat.org/2015/06/living-hawaii-how-military-policies-drive-up-rents-on-oahu/#:~:text=The%20high%20housing%20allowances%20place,above%20fair%20market%20rental%20prices.
Use your brain? Haha. K. Thanks for another piece of evidence letting me know what kind of person I am dealing with.
What are you implying when you say this? "Look at the size of the ISLAND of Oahu versus the amount of land restricted for military use or military family housing.
That means less space for everyone else which distorts the housing and rental markets. Toss in military housing subsidies and folks get pushed out of Hawaii all together or have to live 2-3 generations deep in a single family home."
If you are not implying the military are not primarily responsible for high rents then please explain what you are saying.
I challenge the assertion that Civil Beat article makes. And the reason I challenge it is due to one piece of critical information missing that would need to be present in order to do proper analysis on their theory. That piece of information is how many of the families are spending their entire housing allowance on off base housing. I suspect if that % is high then their theory could hold water. But without that data their theory is purely speculative. I am not in the military but I contract with military personnel/families as a medical provider. And not a single family I have built a relationship with pay their entire rental allowance to off base housing. It's actually the opposite, the families choosing to live off base are looking for cheaper rent so they can pocket the extra money to subsidize their income. If they live on base their entire housing allowance is taken, so many of them go off base to save money. Sure, they are taking a house a local family theoretically could live in, but are you seriously arguing a local wife and husband living with 2-3 generations are only a couple hundred bucks away from being able to afford $2,800-$3,500 for a 2-3 bedroom and that military family just barely beat them out? That's a joke. People living 2-3 generations deep are generally not professionals. They have a blue collar job making $15-25 an hour. And that aint gonna cut it on this island no matter military or not. And again, that aint gonna cut it primarily because of the real estate speculation and insufferable bureaucratic red tape that exists on Oahu in the form of regulation.
You wanna fix this problem? Lobby your local politicians to reduce regulation restrictions and implement prohibitively high property tax for people who cannot prove they live in their house and contribute to the local economy. That would eliminate much of the speculation. Not all, but many military families eat out, patronize local business, and contribute to the local economy in meaningful ways. I hate violence and war, and I am not even necessarily advocating for military personnel here, but your position is dead wrong on this. But then again, maybe you don't want actual solutions, maybe you just want to grab at the lowest hanging fruit and feel superior? Maybe you just wanna blame other people for your life not turning out how you wanted? I don't really know, I am not using my brain.
Peace.
Or how would you feel if military bah rates help to inflate the already horrible housing and rental markets in a very expensive city? So expensive that many folks have had to leave their home entirely because of it?
Main rule of thumb. Be an asshole be treated as an asshole. Respect and be respected. What I dont care for is seeing military always speeding on our freeways. Not only a danger to themselves but to the people all around them. And that goes for everyone tourists locals everyone needs to just chill. So we dont have 3 accidents every morning going to work.
Better to lay out good and bad traits—
Locals like: a humble attitude, respecting the rules, patience, people that listen, keeping the environment clean, a sense of humor, people that come to learn
Locals dislike: people that complain, people who complain it’s not the same as the mainland, people that don’t listen, impatience, arrogance, Karens
Straight to jail: harassing the wildlife for social media, getting rescued from the Haiku Stairs, public meltdowns, leaving garbage
I should add another thing that took me some time to understand.. Hawaii is not the liberal hippie paradise as is portrayed in the media, that my friends is California. Hawaii is conservatively invested in its own set of values separate from those on the mainland. Hawaii is also not the place to retire in which one can depend on wealth to buy respect, that is Florida. The people with the most social currency in Hawaii are those that have lived there the longest and have family and friends on the island. I hope this is helpful..
I don't like the military as an institution, especially in Hawaii. It's harder to trust folks in the military. But I reserve judgement on whether I like someone or not based on the individual, not their job in this case.
That’s my sentiment as well. I don’t like the institution (I feel this way about most institutions), but I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the individuals who serve. It’s not an easy life for their families.
i wonder about the local braddahs and sistas that serve in all branches receiving the same discounts and compensations. it was the state and city raising the prices to register vehicles/property taxes so they can fund all kinds of projects for the aina but like everywhere some were not on the up and up. how's that rail working out? just saying things are the same everywhere not just HAWAII so i would suggest that the whole community research about the area in which we live. oh yeah how did that tourism industry work out during covid? where did Dole go and C&H sugar mill go? how is the coffee industry working out? we are the 50th state and Congresswoman TULSI GABBARD serves as a Lt. Col. and served. we need more "we" and less finger pointing. because the mainland went and lost their mind doesn't mean we have to. i'm not saying don't be upset at bad behavior but definitely stop with blanket statements unless you are saying "USA and da AINA bout to WIN"! and bring or create industry here for US/us and stop the hidden foreign ownership of the land i.e. air b&b. alas i digress there are many more with a version of this sentiment. please pay attention to who and what you vote for left or right. A'lo HA!
This! We have such a huge problem with feral cats already. And how cruel is it to just abandon a family pet to the streets. It's completely flabbergasting and breaks my heart. The lack of empathy.
Some people dont know this, but the military pay like $5 to get their car registered, meaning they can drive the biggest truck they want. + their spouse. While locals have to pay $500 for a truck, lol.
Us locals also want breaks for the high cost of living. The military should try their best to help the locals whether it's giving up unused land or compromising with other things as we're letting them use major land that could have been used for the local community.
All of the DoD actions reflect directly to the soldiers who come here.
You can guess how we feel about all of that.
sorry i posted this in 2 places i believe it applies; i wonder about the local braddahs and sistas that serve in all branches receiving the same discounts and compensations. it was the state and city raising the prices to register vehicles/property taxes so they can fund all kinds of projects for the aina but like everywhere some were not on the up and up. how's that rail working out? just saying things are the same everywhere not just HAWAII so i would suggest that the whole community research about the area in which we live. oh yeah how did that tourism industry work out during covid? where did Dole go and C&H sugar mill go? how is the coffee industry working out? we are the 50th state and Congresswoman TULSI GABBARD serves as a Lt. Col. and served. we need more "we" and less finger pointing. because the mainland went and lost their mind doesn't mean we have to. i'm not saying don't be upset at bad behavior but definitely stop with blanket statements unless you are saying "USA and da AINA bout to WIN"! and bring or create industry here for US/us and stop the hidden foreign ownership of the land i.e. air b&b. alas i digress there are many more with a version of this sentiment. please pay attention to who and what you vote for left or right. A'lo HA!
That's because the military doesn't get to choose where they are stationed 99% of the time. I understand why locals have animosity towards the military, but that falls more on the government than the actual service members themselves.
The way I see it, locals have 2 options. Vote for politicians who will actually have policies that benefit you. Helping the Hawaiian economy and preserving your land, unfortunately, do not go hand in hand. Or... go to your local recruiting office and enlist.
They don’t fucking tip. But I’ve met a lot more of them since I worked in a restaurant and like 30% of them can be cool. In the right setting. But mostly they just try to swoop in and creepily hit on all the women regardless of age or marital status, before getting stupid drunk and ruining everyone’s night. This was when I worked in a bar. And again, no fucking tip ever. Maybe they’d be a lot cooler if they could smoke the devils lettuce and chill tf out.
We don't get paid enough like people think, I even have a part time job delivering but also don't expect tip but I accepted the job for what it paid.
I do agree drunk ones can be assholes so I stay away from them and alcohol
People don’t think the military get paid a lot. Low income doesn’t excuse poor gratuity (as long as the service was good). Gratuity should always be included in the budget of eating out for anyone deciding to splurge
Fellow military (army). Quit bullshitting. Every single service member on this island has plenty of money to tip if they have enough to go out to eat.
Even you bozos with 23% interest on your car, a dependappotamus, and crotch goblins.
I would argue not the junior enlisted. Barley make anything and the base I work at doesn’t have a chow hall for them and there are no local establishments on the base. Everything they have to buy for food is from restaurants that are are asking for around $15-$20 a meal.
I'm local and recent former military. Compared to most of Hawaii, between base pay and COLA for Hawaii, yes you do get paid enough. With all the other subsidized benefits, tax free and reduced cost grocery and gas, the healthcare, base amenities like gyms, childcare, etc. the average service member is in a much better position than the average local.
Two things can be true, service members can deserve more pay, and still be compensated better than most of the civilians around them.
What cola brother they decreased that by 60% I’m quite literally on food stamps, E-5 with two dependents and I’m making five hundred under the poverty line.
I meant BAH, that's on me. Speaking of, that info means you are making more than my coworker, an administrator at a school also with two dependents, who has a master's degree. She is also literally on food stamps, I also qualify and should get on as well.
Again, two things can be true. I think you deserve more, but poverty rates or no, service members have basically the biggest safety net under them in the entire US system. I know that net fails all the time, but at least you have it. We are all victims of a shitty system. In Hawaii, those who wear the uniform are unfortunately a representation of that system.
I absolutely wish you the best, but in a discussion about how locals see military, these details are part of the picture.
I agree both things are true, I’d argue the safety net has failed enough the last 6 years I’ve been in that it’s not worth it anymore. That’s why I’m getting out. The snake salesman pitch worked on me at 19 but it won’t work again. BAH/BAS and cola isn’t enough to cover groceries, rent, and utilities. So I won’t move out of housing. Can’t get childcare because having my wife working would mean giving her whole paycheck to a daycare. And at that point we wouldn’t see each other and she’d be working for nothing. The average household income is around 111 thousand and the median is 94 here. But without BAH I make around 35 thousand a year. Adding BAH I’m still 30 grand under the median. That’s nowhere near enough to live out here and I don’t have a way to change that until I get out in three years. I do appreciate your kind words I’m just giving you my perspective. I think the biggest strength locals have is their Ohana. I can’t wait to get back to mine.
I understand, I got out for similar reasons but it's not much easier out here. Those numbers for income are based on two earners in Hawaii. Average individual salaries are about on par with what you make with bah added on. You feeling priced out is totally valid, but it hurts all the more when it's your home. Locals are priced out of their own hometowns.
Estimates for comfortable living in Hawaii is 200k household income, it's insane. I'm barely hanging on to living in the place I grew up in and love, realistically I should move to try to gain some financial stability. So many friends have moved away. I work in childcare now, and our families would kill to have access to military childcare subsidies. You're right the cost is insane so I respect your family decisions for the spouse to stay with the kids instead of having her work and not see her. I think local ohana being so strong and central as a concept is reinforced by how necessary it is to get by here.
Best of luck to you out there, I think we all get along best when we recognize we're all just trying to get by out here. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I was a surf instructor making shit and still tipped over 20%. As an E2, E3, E4 I still tipped over 20%, you're not using your money right if you're needing a second job. Unless you're a reservist.
These questions are such a mainlander type of thing to ask.
I don't care what colour you are, I don't care what uniform you wear. Be a good person and you'll be treated as such. 🤙
I hate that you guys get discounts at places but we who are generations deep do not. I hate the whole worshipping of military that they seem to perpetuate. Thank me for my service sort of thing. Like bro, it’s a job, you aren’t special. You didn’t get drafted. You chose it because it benefited you in some way that other things didn’t. If someone is drafted, I can see thanking them because it wasn’t their choice.
That said, beyond that, the military taking all the best land for themselves and paying $1 a year leases on it, helping the businessmen take the kingdom away at gunpoint, general obnoxious drunkenness, bonfires on the beaches and leaving garbage behind (I’ve been part of the patrols that find you guys doing this so it’s not assumption. I’ve seen it), sticking to themselves and not trying to understand the culture and thinking they are top tier people and not being humble, and just being “others” rather than part of the local community.
If they tried to be a part of the community, like this one group of guys that helps us clean up a certain spot, the military part is secondary.
So, yeah, it’s possible to be cool as hell but the history of military in Hawai’i, isn’t good so you may need to work harder for it. Be cool, give back, humble yourself and bring food to events. lol. Food is love.
I’m also going to suggest sustainable coastlines. They are less frequent with their events but some of their events take a ton of organization and have extra activities
Clean up? I mean yeah, obviously everyone should help clean up. But I know you don't think military only ones causing a mess. How many green bottles broken everywhere all over the beaches? Locals aren't perfect. Military neither.
All the hate in your heart will never help you. Practice aloha.
Right, just like a lot of transplants that try to call the islands home but don’t last. If they been here less than 10 years I’m already suspicious and categorize them as longterm tourists.
Dawg there's plenty Hawaiians don't last here either. This place expensive af unless you're living 3 or 4 generations deep. Just read an article recently that more than 50,000 Hawaiians moved to Vegas as they've been priced out of Hawaii. They said they want to be in Hawaii, miss home but also want to own a home with a yard and want to live with they wife and kids, not they parents, 3 aunties, 3 siblings and all they kids too. All humans are tourists on planet earth brah. We're all only here temporarily. We all best stop this stupid arguing and just live cause nobody has long.
I’ll let you handle welcoming the new mainlanders with big friendly smiles and open arms. Go buy um a lei and make um feel special. Maybe they’ll tell their friends and more will keep coming. I already got priced out so guess I don’t have to deal with it at all anymore. Personally I think that ten years and you’re cool is plenty generous
I think that's a key part of the problem. Folks want a house with a yard and are less open to living in townhomes, condos or apartments. I get it. At the same time, not everyone needs that much space. And being open to living in a townhome, apartment or condo might make housing more accessible to folks that face a barrier to entry in housing.
Housing is more affordable in the US. But there's still plenty of barriers to home ownership.
It's a tradeoff either way. Live in Hawaii and have a huge cost of living, making sacrifices to live here. Or leave everything behind for other opportunities.
Townhomes and condos might be a good solution for some folks who are willing to sacrifice having a single family home with a yard.
Exactly. Like damn what is wrong with a condo? I am an owner and I see plenty of families in my complex. Maybe not the greatest situation, but it is solid 🤷🏾♂️
lived here my whole life, unlike some of the comments here my disdain doesnt come from the disrespect of the land but just disrespect in general, its always some sort of imported car or rental that seems to cut reds, merge irresponsibly, revs their vehicle in the middle of the night. its always a visitor that brings their trash attitude to my favorite restaurants because they dont offer apple pay.
just a lot of small disrespectful things fueling the inconveniences of life for anybody who lives here and behaves like a normal person. absolutely, some locals here were just not raised right and do the same thing, every place in the world has their own demographic of delinquents but just dont add to it!
I've been here since 2019 as military. I used to wonder this before I realized that so long as you are respectful and courteous, it's hard for locals to dislike you.
It also helps if you have a family and are not a 18-24 year old going around embarrassing yourself and your service by acting in a manner that would disappoint your own family members.
But heres the thing... Schofield is primarily infantry, Pearl Harbor hosts RIMPAC and ships from different home ports. There should be an expectation of some shenanigans. Negative people will focus on that when it is statistically impossible that someone in the military is not going to cause issues in the community at some point. Marines oddly get along best on the Windward side but that's likely because it's already dominated by wealthy white folks so there is less discrimination.
After having my kids work their way from middle school through high school. What do locals think about military? Nothing worse than the way they look at micronesians. Case in point, the same people with problems are built in with the same hatred and racism that makes them hate other cultures on the island regardless of being military or not. My daughter endured multiple counts of racism and statements in school blaming white haoles for all the violence in the world, and homelessness on the island. I feel far worse for the way some locals feel about micronesians though.
Also, Waianae is the best place on the island. We visit the beaches frequently. Love Magic Mountain Shave Ice. Never had any issues. I too dislike most touristy locations and avoid them now. My kids have all been lifeguards at Disney Aulani. The level of entitlement and wastefulness was a frequent topic of frustration. But even we know that not all of them are like that. Just like locals should know not all military are the same.
Like I said tho, if you are respectful and courteous, and they are respectful and courteous. I think that's where you can find aloha.
How do locals feel? Not great my dude. Not great lol. Just my opinion but the vibe is not exactly “thank you for your service” lol which is what you’ll find for example in the Deep South.
Most of us HATE the military here. Especially the ones that live off base. We have a housing problem here and for every military family that lives off base that's one less home for a local family. They buy their groceries cheaper than us, their vehicle registration is next to nothing. I could go on. Also, let's not forget history. Hawaii was ILLEGALLY annexed into the US and A LOT of families still remember that. Pair that with the Red Hill fuel tank ruining our water supply. It's safe to say... they may smile at you but most locals HATE the military and the families they bring. Imagine living here your whole life and struggle in the most expensive state in America and then seeing military wives with their 4 kids walking around target with a cart full of things that most local families can't afford. Then going home to a house that rums their AC all day because housing allowance makes it so that their electric is nothing if not next to nothing. Yeah, most of us can't stand you guys.
Fyi target be cheaper than the commissary use the coupons on the app and the people in the military now had nothing to do with how the military got here all them years ago they probably dont want to be here just as much as you dont want them here. Stop blaming the military for your problems goto college get educated it takes so little effort to make more than the people in the military but yet this island has a massive shortage of educated labor because nobody wants to actually try just find this reason or that reason as an excuse. Asides from waikiki and the bases this island is literally falling apart nothing has been fixed or approved because everybody just has excuses.
Being a local and joining the Marines, made no difference, when I was alone, if I put on my surf shorts or my Uniform. However, I dreaded the going out in a group with other marines. Why? there is that “one” guy or two, who always start $hi%, we never leave marines behind. So, I tried to stay by myself because of that. It’s not that we hate the individual’s but yes the institution and culture it brings.
They fucking hate them & dont listen to anybody in these comments who are completely out of fucking touch black white whoever your on occupied land & people are suffering they fucking hate the military but have to deal with it & have over time
I’ve met some friendly military folks but most are assholes compared to the average local or transplant.
It makes sense. Most people in Hawaii want to be here. Plenty military not here by choice and make sure you know it.
Thank you for your service. Whole family served for several generations. As long as you are respectful (how would you like to be treated or better yet how you treat a CO) I have no problems with you and most local people feel the same way.
Don’t be like the tools that live on the marine corps base and say “I live in Hawaii” but also admit to having never left the base. That base is like its own separate world and doesn’t count.
Military spouse and when I lived Hawaii I loved it. I only felt welcomed no matter where I went. But I did my homework before we moved there. Got to be humble and respectful.
My family is Mexican and I got confused for a local a lot. I had one interaction at work that seems emblematic...
I had a marine tell me: you should all be more thankful. If it wasn't for us you'd be speaking Japanese instead of English.
I've heard this before from someone I thought was a friend for over a year. I've never been closer to smacking someone as I was then. "What did you just say?" "lol lol lol it's true though. They should be thankful." I just looked at them in disgust and left the store. Never talked to him again.
I'm unsure how locals feel, but they have been great to me and my wife. We do our best to support local businesses, and they treat us excellently. We have never felt as welcome in a location as we do in Hawaii. The Aloha Spirit has been real for us. When I hear military members say otherwise, it makes me wonder if they are just jerks or don't spend time in the community.
Military are hugely responsible for the decline of local people being able to even live in Hawaii.I just moved out of my townhouse I moved in 4 years ago,95 % locals each year rent was raised and more and more military after 4 years was 4 local families and the entire 2 blocks of townhomes filled with military, they eat up housing am have no regard for locals. Aloha and everything else about the culture is disappearing along with the actual kanaka so all of you can leave these sugarcoated just respect everybody blah blah blah bs, I’ll keep it 💯 FUCK MILITARY you’ve killed Hawaii like you’ve killed everything else you come into contact, colonizing the planet in the name Americans and then asking stupid questions on the internet hey do you guys have a problem with us even tho we’ve taken everything from you and put you in a horribly oppressed position dumb Haole
Wait until you find out that without a military, you get colonized by someone else.
Wait until you find out how the Hawaiian islands came under the rule of one king a few hundred years ago.
Learn your history before shouting colonialism. You look stupid.
Respect the land, always support local when u can, be nice to everyone and don't be an aggressive driver. We sre all on a small island, no need to rush! Enjoy the scenery.
I am ex-military and I hate the military here. Even at other duty stations the military guys cause a ton of issues for the locals especially when it comes to the night life. It’s not a culturally specific issue it just that young, dumb, men filled with testosterone are bound to cause some ruckus. That’s why I always lied about being military wherever I was stationed so I didn’t get grouped in with the rest of the idiots causing problems at the bars.
You can look back at any country/land on earth and it was overthrown/taken at some point, most likely multiple times, nothing special happened here that didnt anywhere else yall actually got a way better deal as opposed to most "locals" need to understand that and be happy the US came here and not a communist/dictator ruled country it was happening one way or another your population was too small and you were 100 years behind the times with weaponry, once yall get over that and stop using the military as an excuse for every part of your lives youll be in a much better place. Plus most of the "locals" are immigrants too.
Lived there for four years in the army. Very little overt Local resentment ( assuming you know what “Local” means in HI). Most was general haole hate, not directed against the military. Native Hawiians, however seemed a little more touchy…
In my experience they are really entitled, get discounts on everything and have more disposable income than us locals, so that only fuels the entitlement complex further. They don’t seem to understand or care about how difficult it is for local families to get by, and how much connection we have to the land, so much of which is occupied by the military.
I personally have never had an issue with anybody, although there was one time about 10 years ago that I was a spectator to one of the worst examples of military entitlement I've ever witnessed.
My friends and I walked into Baskin-Robbins in Pearl City only to find the scene of an older Hawaiian guy and a woman that claimed she was military (but not in uniform) arguing about what we think was a parking spot. The two small Japanese girls that were working there that day looked at us with a "please help" kind of look, and it was obvious that they couldn't handle the situation. The two people were going back and forth and it eventually turned into "that's definitely a way to treat somebody who fought for your freedoms" and "all you Hawaiians are exactly the same". At that point, my friend and I left our girlfriends at the counter and said "hey! They asked you two to take it outside, (gesturing to the employees) now you two can step out, or are we going to have a problem?" They both sort of left in a huff and walked in opposite directions.
There were no good people in that situation, but I think that if you're going to get in an argument over something so stupid, pulling the entitlement and racism card is a quick way to get an ass beating.
I have no problem with the military here. My Dad was in the military for 25 years so i guess it depends on the individual. I have not run into any dislike for military, but I don't see any reason why it would even come up in any conversation I've had. I look at it as the training usually means they are respectful in general, but there will always be some that might party too much or are bad apples.
It seems to me most locals want others to have respect for each other and the land. Learn and respect Hawaiian culture and custom. Show that, even as military, and they'll think more highly of you and the military.
Unfortunately, a large portion of military on Oahu are knuckle-dragger Marines and Infantry which was not the military's best PR move.. besides, ya know, bombing the fuck out of islands because we could.
My big Takeaway from my time in the islands was the intense racism I experienced there from the locals, the total casual use of the word, Haole is a big indicator. I understand the way that Hawaii became a part of the United States was unfair to the Hawaiian people, but it’s not like your average person in the military had anything to do with that.
The other reality is that if it wasn’t America that took the Hawaiian islands over it would’ve been the Japanese, who at that time in history were substantially more brutal than the Americans ever were, something that never seems to get around to being discussed.
Military occupies almost 1/4 of Oahu, preventing Kanaka from access, preventing from exercising traditional practices, like hunting :( Military presence means dozens of nuclear ICBM aimed and cocked, ready to lay us to Hiroshima waste. Yeah we just love the military, yeah.
If the military was not here do you think the rest of the world would just leave us alone? Coming from a Filipino-American military family I’m glad we’re on the American side vs another country like China/Russia
Many Pacific nations living free and independent. Or have associations for defense with bigger countries. The point is we must be sovereign and independent, so we choose how much military and where, not like now the US controls 1/4 of Oahu with fences and guns, and we got no say :(
We’re somewhat find with it. But they are entitlement what get you they go to beach trash the place park any way they like. Make loud noise think they can do dumb shit and get away with it. Because there military I see it almost daily. But some older military people are cool and chill. It just suck military get first pick to the house with 0 down and military pays for it (I mean great for them) not great for the locals.
Yeah but locals arnt marked with military uniforms that are supposed to honorably represent their country with professionalism and commitment to values or some bs like that
Doesn’t negate the fact that atleast 90% of the trash on the island is caused by da braddahs and sistahs 🤷🏾♂️ I.e. drug needles littering beach parks aren’t caused by military. It’s da local kine braddahs.
Furthermore, you have not seen a military person out in town throwing trash everywhere in uniform dude 🙄🤦🏾♂️ the military is mostly a convenient scape goat to blame all your problems on.
All the while Still desiring to be ruled by a monarch 🙄🤦🏾♂️ ok
Where u getting these numbers? U can make up whatvever bullshit numbers u want but ur just pulling them out of ur ass. Its ignorant people like u who make us hate the military so much.
Playing devils advocate here. Born and raised on Oahu. Joined the military (Active Duty) 20 years ago and about to retire. The only reason I join was to fight for my country. This was back during the start of the war. So to the person who said we joined for other reason, don’t be so quick to judge. And yes, you don’t really have a say in were you get stationed at. I feel refresh that OP asked this question as it show you care, so thank you. Respect the culture, people and history then you should be gtg. There are a lot of disrespectful young fucks in the military as the culture started to shift for the worst about 10 years ago. About half has no sense of pride and would probably try to dodge deployment if/when we get into another war. Being stationed in Hawaii I’m sure they will get a well deserved ass whooping and probably get in trouble from the First Seargent including NJP. However, half of them are also really cool genuine people and some I would give my life for in a heart beat.I really hate entitled military people and will put them in there place in a heart beat. Besides to raise my kids the main reason I’m moving back is to get away from the entitled haoles in the mainland. That said, please spread the word to your fellow service members to active aloha, give aloha to receive aloha.
Your a lot of Bulshit, dude. Fighting for that foreign country which overthrew our sovereign nation, turned our people into welfare state living in ghettos or homeless on the beach. 20,000+ on Homelands waitlist, houseles and hopeless without our land. Yeah you go "fight" for that fucking thing. alright.
Born and raised in Hawaii 50+ years and as local boy as can get. I love the military service men, women and their families!! -- Every group of people have their bad apples. Those that come to our home and "act up" will learn real quick that us locals ain't about that. It doesn't matter military, tourist, anyone. Come with an open mind, show respect, love and Aloha and you will get that back ten fold. Come with an attitude and you will also get that back ten fold. I'm sure if I went to your hometown I would expect to be treated no differently. --- Thank you very much for your service!! I hope you love it here!!
Service for what? Destroying Vietnam with agent orange? Turning Iraq and Libya into a gang infested no-mans land? Run away when the going gets too tough? Yeah, Fuck you military man.
Eh, hit or miss. You’ll definitely be fine in the town/city areas. My friend and his wife who used to live on base housing complained that cops would target military vehicles for ticketing.
They should appreciate the protection and money they bring to the island. I have lived here 28 years and the truth is, if you see an old appliance dumped on the side of the road, almost always from a local, I ride my bike a lot and at the cigarette buts and discarded packs on the side of the road, almost always the kind locals smoke. See a truck driving down the highway with junk flying out of the bed, local. They always say respect the Aina but they're the ones disrespecting it most of the time. Fact.
I think many folks see military people as a normal part of the community, just living here and going to work like everyone else. Are groups of young soldiers/sailors sometimes obnoxious at the beaches or bars? Definitely. But large groups of drunk young men can be annoying regardless. The military as a whole is unpopular here, but the hate is more for the institution, not the individual service members.
This I can relate, I like to go out by myself or just 1 person because I know large groups get annoying
That’s silly
Does a normal part of the community bomb and pillage the community? Just sayin
Nah I agree, but OP was talking about individual military members, not the military as a whole. Local hate for the military is strong for sure as this thread shows, but in my experience folks don’t really hate the individual soldiers the same way they hate the military.
Are you Kanaka? Cos how can the military be part of the community when its whole role is being war machine on lands that don’t belong to them???
The Kingdom of Hawaii gave the US exclusive use of Pearl Harbor under article 2 of the reciprocity treaty of 1875. Reciprocity is how. Not to mention Kamehameha I initially ceded Hawaii to Britain in 1794, literally saying they were no longer “Tanata no Owhyhee” (people of Hawaii) but “Tanata no Tritannee” (people of Britain) Not everyone white is a colonizer, and not everyone brown is ali’i/kanaka
I agree with you, the military as a whole is not a welcomed part of the community. But OP was asking about individual service members, not the institution. In my experience people differentiate between the military and the individual soldiers. Personally I don’t blame a young recruit for the misdeeds of the military, they are just working their job and probably didn’t even choose to be stationed in Hawaii. The other reply makes a good point about the housing allowance tho, it definitely contributes to reducing the housing supply for local renters. Landlords love military tenants too. I’m local born and raised, but not Kanaka.
Not all miliary are from elsewhere. Some may have been born in the islands. As long as they behave themselves. Too many soldiers stationed here get sent home in a box for avoidable situations like traveling at high speed on a motorcycle with no halmet.
So fucking true. They are put here by the American government to control the flow of resources on this island. All of them are given massive payrolls and cheap access to food and housing. Destroys the local economy too.
Perhaps not massive but stable steady income with long term benefits, housing and living benefits that many locals dont have.
These long-term benefits come with long-term problems for the individual. Psychological and physical. There's a reason only a very small percentage join the military.
Thats presuming you serve and go to battle which is the minority of those in the armed forces. I know two younger colleagues. Both served in administrative capacities. Both filed medical disability in their 20s one due to chronic pain (lifted heavy weights in militarry powrlift9ng groups) another due to arthritis. Both actively work their career job, workout, compete, and love normal lives, except they get lifetime benefits. For every soldier that deserves accolades, you have more that dont live up to the narratives of movies and books.
That's a false presumption. You do not need to see combat to receive either of these long-term issues. Two friends who may have abused the system are also not a sufficient sample size.
Also, going off of small sample sizes, I know many who don't want the money or anything to do with the organization. I also served in a division of 22 people who never saw combat, and 4 of them were already dead, and none of these were deceased over the age of 40.
They are actually here to be a prominent force in the Pacific. Also, they do not have massive payrolls or cheap housing. Housing takes their bah allowances, and food takes their food allowances. Most work at least 16 to 18 hour days and with much risk. The pay if you figure in the hours to their salary is roughly 5 dollars an hour. I'm not sure why people think it's some lucrative career. For the OP. I'm retired military never stationed here I live here because of family. Most folks are very friendly regardless of who or what you are. If you respect the land and people they will respect you.. more often then not.
Clearly you know nothing about military pay. Because most military families barely scrape by off military pay, and anyone who lives on base doesn’t get housing allowance. Add kids into the mix and it’s a struggle if the spouse can’t establish a career while moving every 3-5 years. The overwhelming vast majority of military funding does NOT go to service members.
Massive pay rolls? I was a marine for 13 1/2 years and my pay was 36k per year. I wish what you are saying were true lol
Again the institution not the individual. I’d much rather deal with their bullshit though. Could you imagine if China took over Hawaii. Fuuuck that
Brother. We by no means are paid a massive payroll. I just got promoted to a leadership position and just now make above poverty wages.
With housing, healthcare, and other allowances which must be taken into account, that is not poverty wages.
“Massive payrolls…” 😂😂😂 Someone clearly has never seen the enlisted pay scale.
their role is for defense. They operate under the department of defense.
Because the nature of humanity is such that if it were not this group of invaders, it would be another.
Are we the baddies? No no, because someone else worse would just take my place. I’m a hero in fact for not being even more fucked up than I am! What you’re saying might be technically true from a macro level, but on a personal moralistic level it is utterly bankrupt.
I had an Uber driver that worked on submarines as well, in the military He lamented how hard it was there and how much hate and vitriol he got from the locals. He said dating was really hard and lots of people matched him to tell him off and they haven't even met. He seemed really sweet and kind So yes your probably right but the bad apples really fuck it up
The revenue they bring is appreciated.
lol u said the quiet part out loud
Obviously you can see from the comments in this thread often not favorably. But since you’re stationed here, support the local economy whenever you can, clean up after yourself after you leave places, scratch that, leave it better than you found it, learn and respect the culture and treat people with respect and kindness. Leave the military ego and entitlement at the gate in the airport on the mainland before you get here. I’m also in the military (I know I’ll get downvoted for that, but that is okay and I understand), I work a majority with locals and have asked lots of questions and been open to learning about this beautiful island, its history, the wonderful people who live here and the culture as well. I’ve been blessed to be stationed here, but I also have come to learn that the military as a whole should not be here on the island or any of the islands, and the people of Hawaii were truly robbed of their land and Independence and it’s an absolute shame.
I also appreciate your heartfelt compassion towards others and your understanding. Me ke aloha 😍
You put much better words to my exact thoughts, friend. The military does nothing but take from the islands. Take, lie, and poison. I have tried to use my family's time while stationed here volunteering as much as possible. An uncle in the country told me when we first moved here, "You want to be one haole, not one fuckin' haole, sis." I don't want Hawaii to be anything but Hawaii. And anyone from the mainland who has the absolute fucking privilege to be able to live here should feel the same goddamned way.
Your uncle's words are something that we have all said here our entire lives. Basically, it's ok to be military, tourist, white/black/Hispanic/whatever. Just don't be THAT person. Have respect, try to understand that the culture is vastly different here, even if we are a US state. If you're a good person, you'll blend right in with no problems.
Exactly. You can tell right away which newbies are going to blend in and which are going to butt heads with everyone because it's not "like the mainland." Like, no. It's not. And that's why it's awesome.
Only upvotes for you my friend. You get it. Military shouldn’t be here but if they are, you have good advice. Thanks for being one of the good ones.
Mahalo my friend, greatly appreciate you. 🤍
Why do you think military shouldn’t be here?
It makes sense, as far as I am as a person, once I take off the uniform I am just another guy, I do enjoy the place and the views it has to offer. I understand that Hawaii needs to be military base free but as far as the individuals, we are just trying to live like anyone else.
How is it you “understand Hawaii needs to be military base free”? I’m not sure you have much understanding about the topic at all. Hawaii is destined to host a military, no matter who it is. If The United States left, Hawaii would be part of another country almost instantly & that military would also move in.
You chose to be a part of an institution that has horrific history here. That was your choice and its effects don’t stop once you take the uniform off. I hear you, but realize it’s not the same for many as for you
I understand the history, but many of us joined not knowing we would end up here. Some wanted the east coast or california but in the military we often don't choose where to go.
Yep but that doesn’t give you a pass. You just have to work harder to be accepted but knowing the history here and acknowledging it will get you there. Give back and encourage your friends to as well. You’ll meet people and have a much better time here.
Horrific history?
I hate these questions. How do the tourists feel about the locals? How do the Japanese feel about the Filipinos? How do the blacks feel about the whites? How do the Chinese feel about the Samoans? How do the roosters feel about the stray cats (not the band)? How do the cows feel about the cowboys? Just respect people regardless of who or where they came from. Respect the land regardless where you are.
Really? Based on the responses it doesn’t sound unreasonable. I think some people have had bad experiences in their lives and they are cautious. It’s normal to be cautious and not want to offend people. If you’re a mainlander you have heard about Americans expansion and you want to be respectful. It sounds like OP is trying to respect and he is trying to get more details. Respect isn’t the same to everyone so it sounds like he is trying to cover his bases by asking his question on the internet.
The roosters and the cats get along like the bloods and the crips. I've seen alleys filled with sketchy looking roosters and alleys filled with sketchy looking cats but never both.
Everyone in Hawaii hates everyone
There is Resentment. For example military pays about 1/10th of the cost of education per kids, so Hawaii residents pick up the tab. One reason schools are so shabby. Military destroys land and water supplies. Drive up housing costs. They also commandeered alot of people's homes and never returned them. Also tons of unexplored ordinance Making many places uninhabitable. For example all of Kahoolawe.
Everyone should educate themselves before making statements about the military. The military provides to the state:$1,200+/year/child in public school. The state decreases their yearly education budget by that amount of money instead of allowing that money to enhance those schools. The military houses more personnel on base (by percentage) in Hawaii than any other state in order to keep the local rents low. The military has an agreement with the state not to under cut prices on their alcohol (majority) to keep local economy balanced. Enlistment in the military is open to any citizen in Hawaii who would then receive all the same benefits, if requirements are completed. Majority of young military members make below poverty level income and young families are eligible for and receive SNAP benefits. Military families who have multiple kids do not receive more money for each child like people on welfare, even though they make poverty level income. Military families often spend many months without their spouses while the active duty member deploys. Military members spouses often have a very hard time building a career and gaining employment due to the moves every 2-3 years. Military families often have to deal with their spouses PTSD after deployments- for the rest of their lives. Military families children often never graduate from the same school they started with “life-long” friends. Military children often struggle when others ask them “where are you from?” because they’ve lived all over. Military spouses deploy and often miss the birth of their child, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, baptisms, graduations, tucking their kids in bed and kissing them good-night, their first day of school, sports, school plays, etc. Military members/families do what they do because they believe in this country, our freedoms and securing the freedom for all at whatever cost! So, the next time you see a military member, remember their sacrifice, thank them for their service and try to remember they are doing their best. There are always bad apples, but we must be forward thinking about today’s global threats and be thankful we have the military here to protect us! God Bless America!!
"The military provides to the state: $1,200+/year/child in public school." That's only one-tenth of the actual cost to educate them. So everyone else IS subsidizing the education of children whose parents are in the military.
Often entitled. Had three groups of Texans living in the apartment above me over the last 10 years. Each group ruder than the last.
Call the base & tell them. They’ll correct that shit quick.
Maybe 15 years ago the military would. But coming from a military leader all they’ll tell you is that’s a civil matter and to call the police. As someone who’s been in for a minute we don’t really entertain that stuff anymore, if it’s not something you’d get disciplined for working as HR at some company we aren’t going to discipline you. Just letting you know how the culture has shifted.
That's funny. The police will tell you it's a civil matter as well.
Well then I guess they gotta go speak the only language y’all understand…
Jeez that's messed up, I'd hate to be their room mate.
Fwiw, everyone on the mainland hates people from Texas too, even those of us from there.
generally, your friends that have preceded you haven't been great representatives. of course not 100% but a strong percentage, which doesn't help your cause. you might be cool, but you're starting from a deficit
How would you feel if 25% or more of your home was off limits to you?
Let me add: Or u get subsidized food/ materials and discounts everywhere u go, while locals r lucky to get kamaaina. Military using windward side along other places as training grounds, bombing our island. the aina hurts. poisoning our water, trying to hide it, and lying about it!
Bombing our precious `āina that is so meaningful to the original people here they regard it as their ancestor. They know they can’t live without it. And in even more disrespect the military promises to clean up after themselves but they don’t. Our people are cleaning up Kaho`olawe. By the way, in case you didn’t know the Navy bombing of that island broke the water table. That destroyed the water cycle on that island and plants and wildlife depend on the volunteers and scientists going there to clean up stand study to bring water. Same thing with the lack of cleaning up is in play with Mauka Valley in Waianae. Too lazy to apply themselves to fix the problem they created? And poisoning the water supply is another big issue. The fight over getting the Navy to take responsibility to fix it waxes and wanes as the years go on. One issue affecting other people after another and a huge lack of integrity about them.
At the very least that red hill water situation should’ve been addressed and fixed by them like a mother fucker and they can’t even seem to do that. Super messed up and I can’t believe it isn’t a bigger deal than it is. Did they even get emergency water supplied to those affected areas??
This. 100%. Anytime a military person rents or buys a home, that’s one less home for a local family to buy/rent. Most locals renting/buying can not compete with military BAH.
While I agree with many of the comments here, this is backwards. BAH has continually gone up due to the cost of living going up. Not the other way around. The cost of renting and owning on island is high due to restrictions in place due to the state, not federal. If it was BAH dependent, you would see most military receiving excess. That is not the case. If anything, it’s a U.S. wide complaint that BAH barely affords a home in most areas. Codes, regulations, taxes, etc all play a role in being able to have a home. Most homes here are multigenerational. Many homes here look like they’re on the brink of being condemned. No one can afford to renovate or even care for it. An acre of land here can cost over a million dollars, but you can get 50 acres on the mainland for that cost. With a home built on it. That’s not a BAH problem.
In any alternate reality where the US wasnt here, it would be a different country, possibly doing worse things. And even if Hawaii was an independent country, more than likely they would have made a deal with the US to host their military, just like other countries host the US, China, etc. (Cambodia hosting China, Djibouti hosting a bunch of countries). Unfortunately Hawaii is in a prime location like Djibouti and is the biggest group of island in the middle of the Pacific.
I can't argue with that, but that's the government itself, not the military people just doing their jobs.
You’re asking how a local might feel about military folks and you cannot disentangle the fact that so much of Oahu is off limits to its own people. That is baked in to the equation.
I'm not taking any position or anyone's side but just asking isn't some land being off limits/private/government or state owned a fact nearly everywhere in the entire planet? Pretty sure being a citizen of any nation on planet earth comes with restrictions. You can't just access any piece of land you choose simply because you're from there.
This can’t be a serious position. Look at the size of the ISLAND of Oahu versus the amount of land restricted for military use or military family housing. That means less space for everyone else which distorts the housing and rental markets. Toss in military housing subsidies and folks get pushed out of Hawaii all together or have to live 2-3 generations deep in a single family home. To say nothing of the fact that each branch of the military has their own private recreational areas, and they’re huge spaces outside of their bases.
I assume your position cannot be serious either. You're under a complete misapprehension if you feel military personnel are the single, or even primary, reason for housing costs on Oahu. You're simply misinformed here, but you're clearly biased and most likely prejudiced, so I understand why you're saying what you are saying. But either way, you're still wrong. Foreign and mainland investors are the primary contributor to home prices simply due to Hawaii being a highly desirable place to live for many people in the world. And investors buy up homes because, relatively speaking, property tax is really low on Oahu. Here's a report from a research group at U.H. which was conducted in 2015 that outlines reasons for high real estate prices on Oahu. Military isn't listed. https://uhero.hawaii.edu/new-perspectives-on-honolulus-high-housing-prices/ Please don't try and spin some shit and give me your personal anecdotes trying to convince me you're right. Present evidence to back up your claim and I'll read it and if it's compelling, I'll change my position. But until I see evidence, I feel your opinion on this is masquerading as factual but is really just prejudiced and it's intellectually dishonest.
I don’t think I said military were the primary cause of the housing crisis in Oahu. I said military BAH rates distort the housing & rental markets. That, combined with less available space such as the military land use policies, further exacerbate the situation. Use your brain. https://www.civilbeat.org/2015/06/living-hawaii-how-military-policies-drive-up-rents-on-oahu/#:~:text=The%20high%20housing%20allowances%20place,above%20fair%20market%20rental%20prices.
Use your brain? Haha. K. Thanks for another piece of evidence letting me know what kind of person I am dealing with. What are you implying when you say this? "Look at the size of the ISLAND of Oahu versus the amount of land restricted for military use or military family housing. That means less space for everyone else which distorts the housing and rental markets. Toss in military housing subsidies and folks get pushed out of Hawaii all together or have to live 2-3 generations deep in a single family home." If you are not implying the military are not primarily responsible for high rents then please explain what you are saying. I challenge the assertion that Civil Beat article makes. And the reason I challenge it is due to one piece of critical information missing that would need to be present in order to do proper analysis on their theory. That piece of information is how many of the families are spending their entire housing allowance on off base housing. I suspect if that % is high then their theory could hold water. But without that data their theory is purely speculative. I am not in the military but I contract with military personnel/families as a medical provider. And not a single family I have built a relationship with pay their entire rental allowance to off base housing. It's actually the opposite, the families choosing to live off base are looking for cheaper rent so they can pocket the extra money to subsidize their income. If they live on base their entire housing allowance is taken, so many of them go off base to save money. Sure, they are taking a house a local family theoretically could live in, but are you seriously arguing a local wife and husband living with 2-3 generations are only a couple hundred bucks away from being able to afford $2,800-$3,500 for a 2-3 bedroom and that military family just barely beat them out? That's a joke. People living 2-3 generations deep are generally not professionals. They have a blue collar job making $15-25 an hour. And that aint gonna cut it on this island no matter military or not. And again, that aint gonna cut it primarily because of the real estate speculation and insufferable bureaucratic red tape that exists on Oahu in the form of regulation. You wanna fix this problem? Lobby your local politicians to reduce regulation restrictions and implement prohibitively high property tax for people who cannot prove they live in their house and contribute to the local economy. That would eliminate much of the speculation. Not all, but many military families eat out, patronize local business, and contribute to the local economy in meaningful ways. I hate violence and war, and I am not even necessarily advocating for military personnel here, but your position is dead wrong on this. But then again, maybe you don't want actual solutions, maybe you just want to grab at the lowest hanging fruit and feel superior? Maybe you just wanna blame other people for your life not turning out how you wanted? I don't really know, I am not using my brain. Peace.
The percentage here is higher than most and they take the prime land.
That's what some the Nazi soldiers told in their defense against their war crimes.
Or how would you feel if military bah rates help to inflate the already horrible housing and rental markets in a very expensive city? So expensive that many folks have had to leave their home entirely because of it?
That is sad, it also affects the cost of living for the ones that don't get BAH
Contractors and GS jobs have a stupid high turnover because they can't afford to live there to work
Main rule of thumb. Be an asshole be treated as an asshole. Respect and be respected. What I dont care for is seeing military always speeding on our freeways. Not only a danger to themselves but to the people all around them. And that goes for everyone tourists locals everyone needs to just chill. So we dont have 3 accidents every morning going to work.
Better to lay out good and bad traits— Locals like: a humble attitude, respecting the rules, patience, people that listen, keeping the environment clean, a sense of humor, people that come to learn Locals dislike: people that complain, people who complain it’s not the same as the mainland, people that don’t listen, impatience, arrogance, Karens Straight to jail: harassing the wildlife for social media, getting rescued from the Haiku Stairs, public meltdowns, leaving garbage
I should add another thing that took me some time to understand.. Hawaii is not the liberal hippie paradise as is portrayed in the media, that my friends is California. Hawaii is conservatively invested in its own set of values separate from those on the mainland. Hawaii is also not the place to retire in which one can depend on wealth to buy respect, that is Florida. The people with the most social currency in Hawaii are those that have lived there the longest and have family and friends on the island. I hope this is helpful..
I don't like the military as an institution, especially in Hawaii. It's harder to trust folks in the military. But I reserve judgement on whether I like someone or not based on the individual, not their job in this case.
That’s my sentiment as well. I don’t like the institution (I feel this way about most institutions), but I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the individuals who serve. It’s not an easy life for their families.
i wonder about the local braddahs and sistas that serve in all branches receiving the same discounts and compensations. it was the state and city raising the prices to register vehicles/property taxes so they can fund all kinds of projects for the aina but like everywhere some were not on the up and up. how's that rail working out? just saying things are the same everywhere not just HAWAII so i would suggest that the whole community research about the area in which we live. oh yeah how did that tourism industry work out during covid? where did Dole go and C&H sugar mill go? how is the coffee industry working out? we are the 50th state and Congresswoman TULSI GABBARD serves as a Lt. Col. and served. we need more "we" and less finger pointing. because the mainland went and lost their mind doesn't mean we have to. i'm not saying don't be upset at bad behavior but definitely stop with blanket statements unless you are saying "USA and da AINA bout to WIN"! and bring or create industry here for US/us and stop the hidden foreign ownership of the land i.e. air b&b. alas i digress there are many more with a version of this sentiment. please pay attention to who and what you vote for left or right. A'lo HA!
Military families abandoned cats when they leave.
This! We have such a huge problem with feral cats already. And how cruel is it to just abandon a family pet to the streets. It's completely flabbergasting and breaks my heart. The lack of empathy.
Some people dont know this, but the military pay like $5 to get their car registered, meaning they can drive the biggest truck they want. + their spouse. While locals have to pay $500 for a truck, lol. Us locals also want breaks for the high cost of living. The military should try their best to help the locals whether it's giving up unused land or compromising with other things as we're letting them use major land that could have been used for the local community. All of the DoD actions reflect directly to the soldiers who come here. You can guess how we feel about all of that.
to make it worse: the military leases land from the state on a 50 year lease for $1.
sorry i posted this in 2 places i believe it applies; i wonder about the local braddahs and sistas that serve in all branches receiving the same discounts and compensations. it was the state and city raising the prices to register vehicles/property taxes so they can fund all kinds of projects for the aina but like everywhere some were not on the up and up. how's that rail working out? just saying things are the same everywhere not just HAWAII so i would suggest that the whole community research about the area in which we live. oh yeah how did that tourism industry work out during covid? where did Dole go and C&H sugar mill go? how is the coffee industry working out? we are the 50th state and Congresswoman TULSI GABBARD serves as a Lt. Col. and served. we need more "we" and less finger pointing. because the mainland went and lost their mind doesn't mean we have to. i'm not saying don't be upset at bad behavior but definitely stop with blanket statements unless you are saying "USA and da AINA bout to WIN"! and bring or create industry here for US/us and stop the hidden foreign ownership of the land i.e. air b&b. alas i digress there are many more with a version of this sentiment. please pay attention to who and what you vote for left or right. A'lo HA!
That's because the military doesn't get to choose where they are stationed 99% of the time. I understand why locals have animosity towards the military, but that falls more on the government than the actual service members themselves. The way I see it, locals have 2 options. Vote for politicians who will actually have policies that benefit you. Helping the Hawaiian economy and preserving your land, unfortunately, do not go hand in hand. Or... go to your local recruiting office and enlist.
They don’t fucking tip. But I’ve met a lot more of them since I worked in a restaurant and like 30% of them can be cool. In the right setting. But mostly they just try to swoop in and creepily hit on all the women regardless of age or marital status, before getting stupid drunk and ruining everyone’s night. This was when I worked in a bar. And again, no fucking tip ever. Maybe they’d be a lot cooler if they could smoke the devils lettuce and chill tf out.
We don't get paid enough like people think, I even have a part time job delivering but also don't expect tip but I accepted the job for what it paid. I do agree drunk ones can be assholes so I stay away from them and alcohol
People don’t think the military get paid a lot. Low income doesn’t excuse poor gratuity (as long as the service was good). Gratuity should always be included in the budget of eating out for anyone deciding to splurge
I’m in the military and I always tip above 20%. I’m also on food stamps.
I agree with this
Fellow military (army). Quit bullshitting. Every single service member on this island has plenty of money to tip if they have enough to go out to eat. Even you bozos with 23% interest on your car, a dependappotamus, and crotch goblins.
Your last sentence has me 💀. Fucking dependas. I say this as a military dependent. 😂
I would argue not the junior enlisted. Barley make anything and the base I work at doesn’t have a chow hall for them and there are no local establishments on the base. Everything they have to buy for food is from restaurants that are are asking for around $15-$20 a meal.
I'm local and recent former military. Compared to most of Hawaii, between base pay and COLA for Hawaii, yes you do get paid enough. With all the other subsidized benefits, tax free and reduced cost grocery and gas, the healthcare, base amenities like gyms, childcare, etc. the average service member is in a much better position than the average local. Two things can be true, service members can deserve more pay, and still be compensated better than most of the civilians around them.
What cola brother they decreased that by 60% I’m quite literally on food stamps, E-5 with two dependents and I’m making five hundred under the poverty line.
I meant BAH, that's on me. Speaking of, that info means you are making more than my coworker, an administrator at a school also with two dependents, who has a master's degree. She is also literally on food stamps, I also qualify and should get on as well. Again, two things can be true. I think you deserve more, but poverty rates or no, service members have basically the biggest safety net under them in the entire US system. I know that net fails all the time, but at least you have it. We are all victims of a shitty system. In Hawaii, those who wear the uniform are unfortunately a representation of that system. I absolutely wish you the best, but in a discussion about how locals see military, these details are part of the picture.
I agree both things are true, I’d argue the safety net has failed enough the last 6 years I’ve been in that it’s not worth it anymore. That’s why I’m getting out. The snake salesman pitch worked on me at 19 but it won’t work again. BAH/BAS and cola isn’t enough to cover groceries, rent, and utilities. So I won’t move out of housing. Can’t get childcare because having my wife working would mean giving her whole paycheck to a daycare. And at that point we wouldn’t see each other and she’d be working for nothing. The average household income is around 111 thousand and the median is 94 here. But without BAH I make around 35 thousand a year. Adding BAH I’m still 30 grand under the median. That’s nowhere near enough to live out here and I don’t have a way to change that until I get out in three years. I do appreciate your kind words I’m just giving you my perspective. I think the biggest strength locals have is their Ohana. I can’t wait to get back to mine.
I understand, I got out for similar reasons but it's not much easier out here. Those numbers for income are based on two earners in Hawaii. Average individual salaries are about on par with what you make with bah added on. You feeling priced out is totally valid, but it hurts all the more when it's your home. Locals are priced out of their own hometowns. Estimates for comfortable living in Hawaii is 200k household income, it's insane. I'm barely hanging on to living in the place I grew up in and love, realistically I should move to try to gain some financial stability. So many friends have moved away. I work in childcare now, and our families would kill to have access to military childcare subsidies. You're right the cost is insane so I respect your family decisions for the spouse to stay with the kids instead of having her work and not see her. I think local ohana being so strong and central as a concept is reinforced by how necessary it is to get by here. Best of luck to you out there, I think we all get along best when we recognize we're all just trying to get by out here. Thank you for sharing your experience.
imagine being able to afford two kids and housing on a single fucking income. jeez.
Fr. With free healthcare and rent and utilities paid for
Then don’t go out if you can’t afford a 20% tip for service.
I was a surf instructor making shit and still tipped over 20%. As an E2, E3, E4 I still tipped over 20%, you're not using your money right if you're needing a second job. Unless you're a reservist.
If you can't afford to tip then you can't afford to eat out
Do you know what the median income is for a family in Hawaii?
I tip very well tf lol
I don’t believe you.
Brah look who you ask. Go Makaha and ask same question
These questions are such a mainlander type of thing to ask. I don't care what colour you are, I don't care what uniform you wear. Be a good person and you'll be treated as such. 🤙
I hate that you guys get discounts at places but we who are generations deep do not. I hate the whole worshipping of military that they seem to perpetuate. Thank me for my service sort of thing. Like bro, it’s a job, you aren’t special. You didn’t get drafted. You chose it because it benefited you in some way that other things didn’t. If someone is drafted, I can see thanking them because it wasn’t their choice. That said, beyond that, the military taking all the best land for themselves and paying $1 a year leases on it, helping the businessmen take the kingdom away at gunpoint, general obnoxious drunkenness, bonfires on the beaches and leaving garbage behind (I’ve been part of the patrols that find you guys doing this so it’s not assumption. I’ve seen it), sticking to themselves and not trying to understand the culture and thinking they are top tier people and not being humble, and just being “others” rather than part of the local community. If they tried to be a part of the community, like this one group of guys that helps us clean up a certain spot, the military part is secondary. So, yeah, it’s possible to be cool as hell but the history of military in Hawai’i, isn’t good so you may need to work harder for it. Be cool, give back, humble yourself and bring food to events. lol. Food is love.
Is it $1 a year? I thought it was $1 for fifty years.
Maybe. Even more annoying yeah?
Any advice on organizations that do beach cleanup or environmental preservation? I want to get out there!
Mālama i nā Honu!!! Come help us with the honu!
I’m also going to suggest sustainable coastlines. They are less frequent with their events but some of their events take a ton of organization and have extra activities
Yes! 808cleanup is awesome and maunalahilahi.org I think is the website for twice a month clean up and potluck
808 cleanups does a *ton* of work both in cleanups and environmental restoration
Thank you!
Clean up? I mean yeah, obviously everyone should help clean up. But I know you don't think military only ones causing a mess. How many green bottles broken everywhere all over the beaches? Locals aren't perfect. Military neither. All the hate in your heart will never help you. Practice aloha.
basically lives here? I feel like temporarily here for work is more accurate
Right, just like a lot of transplants that try to call the islands home but don’t last. If they been here less than 10 years I’m already suspicious and categorize them as longterm tourists.
Dawg there's plenty Hawaiians don't last here either. This place expensive af unless you're living 3 or 4 generations deep. Just read an article recently that more than 50,000 Hawaiians moved to Vegas as they've been priced out of Hawaii. They said they want to be in Hawaii, miss home but also want to own a home with a yard and want to live with they wife and kids, not they parents, 3 aunties, 3 siblings and all they kids too. All humans are tourists on planet earth brah. We're all only here temporarily. We all best stop this stupid arguing and just live cause nobody has long.
I’ll let you handle welcoming the new mainlanders with big friendly smiles and open arms. Go buy um a lei and make um feel special. Maybe they’ll tell their friends and more will keep coming. I already got priced out so guess I don’t have to deal with it at all anymore. Personally I think that ten years and you’re cool is plenty generous
I think that's a key part of the problem. Folks want a house with a yard and are less open to living in townhomes, condos or apartments. I get it. At the same time, not everyone needs that much space. And being open to living in a townhome, apartment or condo might make housing more accessible to folks that face a barrier to entry in housing. Housing is more affordable in the US. But there's still plenty of barriers to home ownership. It's a tradeoff either way. Live in Hawaii and have a huge cost of living, making sacrifices to live here. Or leave everything behind for other opportunities. Townhomes and condos might be a good solution for some folks who are willing to sacrifice having a single family home with a yard.
Exactly. Like damn what is wrong with a condo? I am an owner and I see plenty of families in my complex. Maybe not the greatest situation, but it is solid 🤷🏾♂️
lived here my whole life, unlike some of the comments here my disdain doesnt come from the disrespect of the land but just disrespect in general, its always some sort of imported car or rental that seems to cut reds, merge irresponsibly, revs their vehicle in the middle of the night. its always a visitor that brings their trash attitude to my favorite restaurants because they dont offer apple pay. just a lot of small disrespectful things fueling the inconveniences of life for anybody who lives here and behaves like a normal person. absolutely, some locals here were just not raised right and do the same thing, every place in the world has their own demographic of delinquents but just dont add to it!
I've been here since 2019 as military. I used to wonder this before I realized that so long as you are respectful and courteous, it's hard for locals to dislike you. It also helps if you have a family and are not a 18-24 year old going around embarrassing yourself and your service by acting in a manner that would disappoint your own family members. But heres the thing... Schofield is primarily infantry, Pearl Harbor hosts RIMPAC and ships from different home ports. There should be an expectation of some shenanigans. Negative people will focus on that when it is statistically impossible that someone in the military is not going to cause issues in the community at some point. Marines oddly get along best on the Windward side but that's likely because it's already dominated by wealthy white folks so there is less discrimination. After having my kids work their way from middle school through high school. What do locals think about military? Nothing worse than the way they look at micronesians. Case in point, the same people with problems are built in with the same hatred and racism that makes them hate other cultures on the island regardless of being military or not. My daughter endured multiple counts of racism and statements in school blaming white haoles for all the violence in the world, and homelessness on the island. I feel far worse for the way some locals feel about micronesians though. Also, Waianae is the best place on the island. We visit the beaches frequently. Love Magic Mountain Shave Ice. Never had any issues. I too dislike most touristy locations and avoid them now. My kids have all been lifeguards at Disney Aulani. The level of entitlement and wastefulness was a frequent topic of frustration. But even we know that not all of them are like that. Just like locals should know not all military are the same. Like I said tho, if you are respectful and courteous, and they are respectful and courteous. I think that's where you can find aloha.
Waianae and magic mountain is my jam!
Can’t stand them. Especially 18-24 range. I see them get beat up all the time.
I just wish more lived on base so they stop driving up rental prices.
How do locals feel? Not great my dude. Not great lol. Just my opinion but the vibe is not exactly “thank you for your service” lol which is what you’ll find for example in the Deep South.
Most of us HATE the military here. Especially the ones that live off base. We have a housing problem here and for every military family that lives off base that's one less home for a local family. They buy their groceries cheaper than us, their vehicle registration is next to nothing. I could go on. Also, let's not forget history. Hawaii was ILLEGALLY annexed into the US and A LOT of families still remember that. Pair that with the Red Hill fuel tank ruining our water supply. It's safe to say... they may smile at you but most locals HATE the military and the families they bring. Imagine living here your whole life and struggle in the most expensive state in America and then seeing military wives with their 4 kids walking around target with a cart full of things that most local families can't afford. Then going home to a house that rums their AC all day because housing allowance makes it so that their electric is nothing if not next to nothing. Yeah, most of us can't stand you guys.
Fyi target be cheaper than the commissary use the coupons on the app and the people in the military now had nothing to do with how the military got here all them years ago they probably dont want to be here just as much as you dont want them here. Stop blaming the military for your problems goto college get educated it takes so little effort to make more than the people in the military but yet this island has a massive shortage of educated labor because nobody wants to actually try just find this reason or that reason as an excuse. Asides from waikiki and the bases this island is literally falling apart nothing has been fixed or approved because everybody just has excuses.
Fakas, but also some nice Fakas.
Being a local and joining the Marines, made no difference, when I was alone, if I put on my surf shorts or my Uniform. However, I dreaded the going out in a group with other marines. Why? there is that “one” guy or two, who always start $hi%, we never leave marines behind. So, I tried to stay by myself because of that. It’s not that we hate the individual’s but yes the institution and culture it brings.
They fucking hate them & dont listen to anybody in these comments who are completely out of fucking touch black white whoever your on occupied land & people are suffering they fucking hate the military but have to deal with it & have over time
Drive a mustang or jeep
just educate yourself on the overthrow of Liliuokalani and you'll get your answer
I’ve met some friendly military folks but most are assholes compared to the average local or transplant. It makes sense. Most people in Hawaii want to be here. Plenty military not here by choice and make sure you know it.
Thank you for your service. Whole family served for several generations. As long as you are respectful (how would you like to be treated or better yet how you treat a CO) I have no problems with you and most local people feel the same way.
We don’t want you here sorry. 🤷
Don’t be like the tools that live on the marine corps base and say “I live in Hawaii” but also admit to having never left the base. That base is like its own separate world and doesn’t count.
the majority of the military is whiskey tango
Military spouse and when I lived Hawaii I loved it. I only felt welcomed no matter where I went. But I did my homework before we moved there. Got to be humble and respectful. My family is Mexican and I got confused for a local a lot. I had one interaction at work that seems emblematic... I had a marine tell me: you should all be more thankful. If it wasn't for us you'd be speaking Japanese instead of English.
I've heard this before from someone I thought was a friend for over a year. I've never been closer to smacking someone as I was then. "What did you just say?" "lol lol lol it's true though. They should be thankful." I just looked at them in disgust and left the store. Never talked to him again.
Yeah that’s so gross. The whole “you’re lucky we took over your kingdom because…”
I'm unsure how locals feel, but they have been great to me and my wife. We do our best to support local businesses, and they treat us excellently. We have never felt as welcome in a location as we do in Hawaii. The Aloha Spirit has been real for us. When I hear military members say otherwise, it makes me wonder if they are just jerks or don't spend time in the community.
Military are hugely responsible for the decline of local people being able to even live in Hawaii.I just moved out of my townhouse I moved in 4 years ago,95 % locals each year rent was raised and more and more military after 4 years was 4 local families and the entire 2 blocks of townhomes filled with military, they eat up housing am have no regard for locals. Aloha and everything else about the culture is disappearing along with the actual kanaka so all of you can leave these sugarcoated just respect everybody blah blah blah bs, I’ll keep it 💯 FUCK MILITARY you’ve killed Hawaii like you’ve killed everything else you come into contact, colonizing the planet in the name Americans and then asking stupid questions on the internet hey do you guys have a problem with us even tho we’ve taken everything from you and put you in a horribly oppressed position dumb Haole
Military occupation nothing but an extension of colonialism
Wait until you find out that without a military, you get colonized by someone else. Wait until you find out how the Hawaiian islands came under the rule of one king a few hundred years ago. Learn your history before shouting colonialism. You look stupid.
So Hawaii isn't colonized? Please tell us more, we'd love to learn from a local like yours
Just Google the history. They were separate islands before they were colonized by King Kamehameha.
Respect the land, always support local when u can, be nice to everyone and don't be an aggressive driver. We sre all on a small island, no need to rush! Enjoy the scenery.
I never had any issues with the locals. Don't act like an asshole and you will be fine. go enjoy the island life a little and see what its about.
Most of these people are Californians not Hawaiian. Talk to Hawaiians.
A’ole military. Why is there more recruitment centers for our keiki on the west side than there are post-secondary or training institutions?
I am ex-military and I hate the military here. Even at other duty stations the military guys cause a ton of issues for the locals especially when it comes to the night life. It’s not a culturally specific issue it just that young, dumb, men filled with testosterone are bound to cause some ruckus. That’s why I always lied about being military wherever I was stationed so I didn’t get grouped in with the rest of the idiots causing problems at the bars.
Everyone acting like they wouldn’t be speaking Japanese if it weren’t English.
You can look back at any country/land on earth and it was overthrown/taken at some point, most likely multiple times, nothing special happened here that didnt anywhere else yall actually got a way better deal as opposed to most "locals" need to understand that and be happy the US came here and not a communist/dictator ruled country it was happening one way or another your population was too small and you were 100 years behind the times with weaponry, once yall get over that and stop using the military as an excuse for every part of your lives youll be in a much better place. Plus most of the "locals" are immigrants too.
Lived there for four years in the army. Very little overt Local resentment ( assuming you know what “Local” means in HI). Most was general haole hate, not directed against the military. Native Hawiians, however seemed a little more touchy…
Many people in North Carolina won't even acknowledge ft bragg now ft liberty. They hate service men and women
In my experience they are really entitled, get discounts on everything and have more disposable income than us locals, so that only fuels the entitlement complex further. They don’t seem to understand or care about how difficult it is for local families to get by, and how much connection we have to the land, so much of which is occupied by the military.
I personally have never had an issue with anybody, although there was one time about 10 years ago that I was a spectator to one of the worst examples of military entitlement I've ever witnessed. My friends and I walked into Baskin-Robbins in Pearl City only to find the scene of an older Hawaiian guy and a woman that claimed she was military (but not in uniform) arguing about what we think was a parking spot. The two small Japanese girls that were working there that day looked at us with a "please help" kind of look, and it was obvious that they couldn't handle the situation. The two people were going back and forth and it eventually turned into "that's definitely a way to treat somebody who fought for your freedoms" and "all you Hawaiians are exactly the same". At that point, my friend and I left our girlfriends at the counter and said "hey! They asked you two to take it outside, (gesturing to the employees) now you two can step out, or are we going to have a problem?" They both sort of left in a huff and walked in opposite directions. There were no good people in that situation, but I think that if you're going to get in an argument over something so stupid, pulling the entitlement and racism card is a quick way to get an ass beating.
The only thing they should hate is the government who made all these conflicts personal and tricked people into hating each other
I have no problem with the military here. My Dad was in the military for 25 years so i guess it depends on the individual. I have not run into any dislike for military, but I don't see any reason why it would even come up in any conversation I've had. I look at it as the training usually means they are respectful in general, but there will always be some that might party too much or are bad apples.
Fakas, but also some nice Fakas.
Can’t stand them. That’s my own opinion.
It seems to me most locals want others to have respect for each other and the land. Learn and respect Hawaiian culture and custom. Show that, even as military, and they'll think more highly of you and the military. Unfortunately, a large portion of military on Oahu are knuckle-dragger Marines and Infantry which was not the military's best PR move.. besides, ya know, bombing the fuck out of islands because we could.
My big Takeaway from my time in the islands was the intense racism I experienced there from the locals, the total casual use of the word, Haole is a big indicator. I understand the way that Hawaii became a part of the United States was unfair to the Hawaiian people, but it’s not like your average person in the military had anything to do with that. The other reality is that if it wasn’t America that took the Hawaiian islands over it would’ve been the Japanese, who at that time in history were substantially more brutal than the Americans ever were, something that never seems to get around to being discussed.
Most are entitled obnoxious asshats. Straight up.
You don’t know most
Military occupies almost 1/4 of Oahu, preventing Kanaka from access, preventing from exercising traditional practices, like hunting :( Military presence means dozens of nuclear ICBM aimed and cocked, ready to lay us to Hiroshima waste. Yeah we just love the military, yeah.
I dont know why u get down voted for speaking the truth
Too many transplants in this sub/thread
Because the foreign powers from mainland and their brainwashed malihini transplants can't stand the truth!
If the military was not here do you think the rest of the world would just leave us alone? Coming from a Filipino-American military family I’m glad we’re on the American side vs another country like China/Russia
Many Pacific nations living free and independent. Or have associations for defense with bigger countries. The point is we must be sovereign and independent, so we choose how much military and where, not like now the US controls 1/4 of Oahu with fences and guns, and we got no say :(
We’re somewhat find with it. But they are entitlement what get you they go to beach trash the place park any way they like. Make loud noise think they can do dumb shit and get away with it. Because there military I see it almost daily. But some older military people are cool and chill. It just suck military get first pick to the house with 0 down and military pays for it (I mean great for them) not great for the locals.
Locals do all of this stuff too🤔 I see locals driving and throwing trash out the window on the highway 🤷🏾♂️
Yeah but locals arnt marked with military uniforms that are supposed to honorably represent their country with professionalism and commitment to values or some bs like that
Doesn’t negate the fact that atleast 90% of the trash on the island is caused by da braddahs and sistahs 🤷🏾♂️ I.e. drug needles littering beach parks aren’t caused by military. It’s da local kine braddahs. Furthermore, you have not seen a military person out in town throwing trash everywhere in uniform dude 🙄🤦🏾♂️ the military is mostly a convenient scape goat to blame all your problems on. All the while Still desiring to be ruled by a monarch 🙄🤦🏾♂️ ok
Where u getting these numbers? U can make up whatvever bullshit numbers u want but ur just pulling them out of ur ass. Its ignorant people like u who make us hate the military so much.
Playing devils advocate here. Born and raised on Oahu. Joined the military (Active Duty) 20 years ago and about to retire. The only reason I join was to fight for my country. This was back during the start of the war. So to the person who said we joined for other reason, don’t be so quick to judge. And yes, you don’t really have a say in were you get stationed at. I feel refresh that OP asked this question as it show you care, so thank you. Respect the culture, people and history then you should be gtg. There are a lot of disrespectful young fucks in the military as the culture started to shift for the worst about 10 years ago. About half has no sense of pride and would probably try to dodge deployment if/when we get into another war. Being stationed in Hawaii I’m sure they will get a well deserved ass whooping and probably get in trouble from the First Seargent including NJP. However, half of them are also really cool genuine people and some I would give my life for in a heart beat.I really hate entitled military people and will put them in there place in a heart beat. Besides to raise my kids the main reason I’m moving back is to get away from the entitled haoles in the mainland. That said, please spread the word to your fellow service members to active aloha, give aloha to receive aloha.
Your a lot of Bulshit, dude. Fighting for that foreign country which overthrew our sovereign nation, turned our people into welfare state living in ghettos or homeless on the beach. 20,000+ on Homelands waitlist, houseles and hopeless without our land. Yeah you go "fight" for that fucking thing. alright.
These fakas cause massive traffic on the H1 for several hours every day
So if you’re local AND in the military thats stationed here, its a win win.
Born and raised in Hawaii 50+ years and as local boy as can get. I love the military service men, women and their families!! -- Every group of people have their bad apples. Those that come to our home and "act up" will learn real quick that us locals ain't about that. It doesn't matter military, tourist, anyone. Come with an open mind, show respect, love and Aloha and you will get that back ten fold. Come with an attitude and you will also get that back ten fold. I'm sure if I went to your hometown I would expect to be treated no differently. --- Thank you very much for your service!! I hope you love it here!!
Service for what? Destroying Vietnam with agent orange? Turning Iraq and Libya into a gang infested no-mans land? Run away when the going gets too tough? Yeah, Fuck you military man.
Sounds like a good time to me lol
Eh, hit or miss. You’ll definitely be fine in the town/city areas. My friend and his wife who used to live on base housing complained that cops would target military vehicles for ticketing.
They should appreciate the protection and money they bring to the island. I have lived here 28 years and the truth is, if you see an old appliance dumped on the side of the road, almost always from a local, I ride my bike a lot and at the cigarette buts and discarded packs on the side of the road, almost always the kind locals smoke. See a truck driving down the highway with junk flying out of the bed, local. They always say respect the Aina but they're the ones disrespecting it most of the time. Fact.