Whether you are heading to Guam -courtesy of the military- or you are just curious about this assignment, this extensive post by Kelly on militarydutystations.com leaves almost no questions unanswered.
The Island
There are pluses and minutes about Guam. One must keep an open mind coming here, because the culture and way of life are different and the island is small, and I am not going to lie, it can be monotonous at times, but if you are easy to adapt, as most military and their families are, then it shouldn’t be a problem. The locals are called Chamorros, and if you are lucky enough to befriend some, you will be entertained by some great bbq’s…be sure to get some of the recipes for their red rice, etc. “Boonie†is a nickname used quite frequently for things related to the island. Boonie car (old car bought on the island), boonie stomping (hiking), Boonie dog or cat (strays and there are a lot of them). The island is only 30 miles long, and has a lot of wonderful outdoors activities such a hiking (boonie stomping), snorkeling, diving, etc. The water is absolutely amazing. The base is nice and had all kinds of amenities a vet, movie theater, bowling alley, restaurants, fast foods places, a library, commissary, NEX, mini markets, car wash, swimming pool, gym, boating piers for fishing, dive shops, and a lot of historical landmarks, if you love history, so bring those cameras!
I would highly recommend making use of the base FFSC, which has wonderful programs for military and their families. This is especially the case for spouses who are in search of employment. It can be pretty difficult to find a job on island, but with a lot of persistence and utilizing your resources, such as the FFSC’s FERP Program and MSP, you may be able to get lucky.
Shopping
The commissary has periodic case lots sales in a large warehouse on base. These are great opportunities to buy in bulk at a great price. While we are on the shopping topic, there are couple things to remember for those who are shopaholics. The shopping can be scarce or expensive on island, unless you are into designer everything (there are a few designer malls in Tumon, the tourist city in Guam). There is a Kmart on island, but I am not going to lie, it is a rip-off. They hike the prices up about three times as much as the states. If you like thrifty shopping, I would hit up GPO (Guam Premier Outlets). They have a few decent stores there, especially Ross…although beware…it can get quite crowded. Things also sell out quite fast, and take a long time to sometimes be restocked even in the NEX. My recommendation to anyone who has specific items that they favor, stock up on A LOT of them before you move here, and have family send them to you or find an online store that ship tot the island (some places don’t, but they are getting better at this).
Living
The downsides, utilities…cell phone and internet services tend to go up and down. There are also quite few power outages at times, so make sure you have a lot of flashlights, etc. Since the island is in Typhoon Alley, they are always in some type of condition of readiness. If you live on base, you will be warned way in advance when you can expect one. These typhoons can show up ant time of the year, but the season is typically May through November. I bought a generator before I moved to Guam, but they do sell them on island. I would price them out, because they are not cheap. FFSC holds local typhoon prep. course, which is very informative. Also stock up on lots of water, not only for drinking, but for washing and plumbing. The same good for non perishables, such as canned foods, etc. You can never be too careful!
***I do want to make a note about some of the movers there (locally). I had a bad experience with Pacific Island movers. They stole some of my items (I found out when I moved back to the mainland and received my stuff), so if you get stuck with these movers, please be wary and maybe even request a new carrier.
Because Guam is pretty much restricted to the 30 miles, my recommendations are to get into the outdoors, photography, or the island’s history. This is something precious you can take back to the mainland with you. Also if you have money for traveling, Saipan, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bali, and Australia are right there.
Housing
Housing is pretty nice, at least in my opinion. Most of the new renovations include ceramic/stone styles which are great for keeping the house cool. On the main base there are several housing communities, depending on what your spouse’s rank is. When I lived there, there was never a waiting list, unless you were a chief, but that depends on your PCS date. I would suggest looking at all the houses you can, so you can have your preference. If you have children, there are playgrounds behind some of the houses in several communities. Also, upon arrival let personal property know you are there and that you have an address. In the meantime, you can take out a hospitality kit from the FFSC, which includes all your kitchen goodies and then some for loan. Also, there is a self-help warehouse that is linked with housing. They can loan temp. furniture and microwaves until you receive your personal property. Afterwards, self-help can come in handy for mis. household items, paint and brushes, spackle, caulking, light bulbs, bug traps, top soil, rope, drain plugs, picture hangers, etc. (free as long as you live in housing) The beauty is…all of this is directly on base!
I enjoyed base housing, but if you decide to live off base and receive the allowance…be careful where you move. I have known people who had lovely homes off base, but have had them broken into/robbed, and it happens more than people know. I personally like the safety of the base, especially if your spouse is deployed or out to sea. Plus, the utilities can be very expensive (electric). If you go over your utility allowance, you are stuck paying out of pocket. Also, the BAH given to you is called OHA in Guam. There is a max, but you are only given what you need. So say it’s $2000 a month, and you find a place for $1500, you only get what the rent really is. If the rent is $2500, then you only get $2000 (the max). You get OHA and a utility allowance, which was around $500 in 2009.
This is for those adult learners:
Take a visit to the Navy College Office; they are not only there for Active Duty, but for Family, too. They have a UOM office there, too. Also be wary if you decide to go to the University of Guam. While I know many people who have went there without an issue, they do lose their accreditation every so often, so please do your research before you decide to attend there. Always make sure the school is regionally accredited and up to date on
Medical Treatment Facility
The Naval Hospital is about 20 minutes of the main base, and is has everything, but there is also a medical clinic on the man base. I would chose the later if you decide to live on base. You do have to go to the main hospital first to get registered with Tricare Pacific Prime. Also prior to leaving the island, you will be required to receive a medical and dental clearance. It’s easy, and your spouse will get the details from his current command about it. Also, don’t forget to check out your medical record before you leave to Guam, and carry it with you at all times.
Also, if you ship a car and it has arrived on Guam. You will need to first obtain a temp driving pass from the Treasurer of Guam (Guam DMV). This is a Catch-22 if you don’t have a vehicle to drive, but they will not release your vehicle without seeing that permit, so hopefully you have a rental car or somene who can drive you to get one.
Also, keep checking on the status of your vehicle on the website that the shipping company gives you. You will find out that your car has arrived on their before they even decide to call you on the phone to let you know.
Oh and if the personal property office ever tells you that half of your stuff is already there, but the other half is elsewhere (like Malaysia, lol!) just ask them to deliver what is already there for now. Funny and true story, but this happened to me, and yes they told me Malaysia. We waited almost a month after we got there, thinking only half of the shipment was at the warehouse, and personal property was waiting on the other half of the shipment (or at least that is what we were told). One day I got fed up and asked them to at least give us the half that is already there…well it turns out it was really all of our stuff the whole time.
PASSPORT:
Your spouse’s current command will direct him/her on the steps, but the spouse will need a free military passport, which he or she will get at the current command. This can only be used enroute to/from your pcs duty station. If you would also like to travel to other countries for personal travel while stationed in Guam, you will need to also buy a personal travel passport: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
PETS:
If you have pets and are moving to Guam, get ready for the quarantine. Guam, like Hawaii, is a rabies free island. If you are moving there with pets you have to take heed to a lot of preplanning before departure. Here is a link for the completer details on the steps: https://www.cnic.navy.mil/navycni/groups/public/documents/document/cnicp_a148489.pdf
I moved with a cat and a dog when I went there, and chose the five-day option, and let me just say it was a very confusing, costly, and tedious process. These are our babies, though, and they are basically like real children. The link pretty much says it all, but I had to make my own list and spreadsheet to keep me organized. I would start the planning right away, and let your vet know, because they could be really helpful with all this. Also, they don’t advertise this, but when I moved there a few years ago I did some research and found out you can get $250 per pet/max $500 from the Navy. It is not even a dent in what you may pay for the vet bills and airline, but every penny helps. Just make sure you inquire, because it seems like a big secret for obvious reasons. 
Here is some contact info:
Quarantine points of contact:
Department of Agriculture
Animal Health Section
163 Dairy Road
Mangilao, Guam 96913
Telephone Number
(671) 734-3942/3 Fax: (671) 734-6569
e-mail: gu.agri@yahoo.com
Hours of Operation:
Monday thru Friday
8:00 am to 12:00 pm
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Harper Valley Kennels
377 Chalan San Antonio
Tamuning, Guam 96913
Phone: (671) 648-7387
Fax: (671) 648-8387
Website: http://www.harpervet.net
e-mail: harperkennels@guam.net (no spacing)
Available to Military Personnel Only
Andersen Animal Quarantine & Kennel Facility
Andersen Air Force Base, Guam
Phone: (671) 366-5020
Fax: (671) 366-5021
Website: to be announced
e-mail: chumporn.velte@andersen.af.mil
We used Harper Valley, because I kept getting confusing info from the AF base, but I would try the AF base first anyways, because it may be cheaper. With Harper Valley, my babies were in a five-day program, but were realized the morning after they arrived. It wasn’t the cleanest place from what I briefly saw, but my babies were okay and cleared fast.
When you live on base (Navy), make sure you register your pets with the on base clinic. It is MUCH cheaper to take you pets here, than outside base. They are not open on weekends, so if heaven forbid there is an emergency, you are forced to take them to a civilian vet. I have been to Wise Owl, and I DON’T recommend them (long story), but I did like Isla Vet Clinic. They have really nice staff!
BASE WEBSITE:
https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Guam
