# The Rock



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

I was stationed in Guam and we started working with the Australians back in 1993, we ferried their leaders "Me" to the carrier battle group for the day and worked in and around their bases, I was told back then that we were going to set up a base or joint base there. 

Before I retired in 2003 they mentioned that a quick response team of Marines would be stationed on guam, they are there now ( after 10 years on that rock, I never want to see it again).


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

I've heard that Guam is a pretty good place to live now and that things are changing with shopping malls etc.
Now many from the continental US are settling there for work and even retirement. I would suppose though that like Hawaii, most things like fresh meat and milk etc are quite expensive. I'm gonna have to take a trip there one day to see if there is anything I'm missing...


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Guam is very expensive*



Jet Lag said:


> I've heard that Guam is a pretty good place to live now and that things are changing with shopping malls etc.
> Now many from the continental US are settling there for work and even retirement. I would suppose though that like Hawaii, most things like fresh meat and milk etc are quite expensive. I'm gonna have to take a trip there one day to see if there is anything I'm missing...


Guam has many spots to shop, they have the largest K Mart or Walmart in the world, those grocery clubs a nice sized mall, several great eating spots but the rent and cost of hotels will set you back, all, it's also very hot there year round, there doesn't seem to be a set dry or wet season the temperature is alway's 85-95 F, it never dipped below 85 like it does here.

Another issue is lack of public transportation, there isn't any except for the tourist area in Tumon, so a short ride will set you back $50, this is a 1996 price.

The Island is beautiful but very small, constructed well but the drivers will run you down, bicycles riders need to be worried, the largest killer of Guam citizens is the large concrete electrical poles the roads get wet or drinking and driving, some real crazy drivers there and these large concrete poles aren't set back far enough a few are off to the side of the road like in places here.

Hawaii seems more civilized and Guam is like the wild-west.


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## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

I liked Guam. Like Hawaii without all of the tourists. My last trip there was in 2006. It is a bit pricey there but other than that I enjoyed it. An acquaintance of mine uses Guam as his yearly trip. He schedules in advance a physical at the Naval hospital and gets all of his medical stuff taken care of. Also does some shopping at the BX..


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

A friend of mine here in Phil spoke highly of Guam said he was tired of live here and moved his family there, but that is only one person’s opinion. I was thinking of moving my family there so my wife could get her USA citizenship and still be near the Philippines. I did some research on line and was not happy with all I found but might still do it since near the Philippines


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## rpmorley (Oct 30, 2012)

I live here in Guam for 6 years now, work for the Navy, if you want to know, just ask. I am retirement eligible and want to make the final PCS (living) to PI.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Guam*



rpmorley said:


> I live here in Guam for 6 years now, work for the Navy, if you want to know, just ask. I am retirement eligible and want to make the final PCS (living) to PI.


I was so happy to leave Guam after living there for 10 years, it was a great place to serve in the military only because of the location and extra $400 a month plus but not a serious spot to retire in. I was stationed originally in Tumon HC-5 but the base was closed and we had to move up to Andersen AFB, so a long way to the main city and quick shopping, miss the Tumon area, we were right there in the middle of where everything was happening, beaches (not so cool anymore, expensive), restaurants, shopping. 

Comparing Guam to the Philippines.... there's no comparison what so ever, well maybe, same customer service if you know what I'm talking about, it's lack-luster, Guam is very expensive and hard to find a spot to rent under $1000 per month.

We almost bought a home there but the houses I qualified for were in the range of $150,000 (1997 prices) were destroyed inside and wrecked the neighborhoods looked dumpy, old cars out front, junk every where, sort of like the Philippines only you pay dearly for a place to live in.

Westerners are considered outsiders to many there but I also remember many patriotic Chamorro's (Guam original race) the island is made up of 50% Philippino's also, many Korean's the Koreans aren't popular there in any way what so ever but the Japanese were very popular.

Vehicle parts are hard to come by also, you usually need to special order...OOh they love that it was an additional $25-50, decent automotive spots were hard to come by also and pricey, local car fix spots were touch and go, they usually took you for some cash or would start a job and ask for more money.

Might be tough to get a job there also, I felt the animosity not only in looking for jobs but living there in general, similar to living here but living in the Philippines is much more friendly and the cost of living is a fraction of what someone would need to deal with in Guam.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Guam*



Jet Lag said:


> I've heard that Guam is a pretty good place to live now and that things are changing with shopping malls etc.
> Now many from the continental US are settling there for work and even retirement. I would suppose though that like Hawaii, most things like fresh meat and milk etc are quite expensive. I'm gonna have to take a trip there one day to see if there is anything I'm missing...


If you have a government ID card you can shop at the two bases and smaller stores the prices are real cheap, Kmart has some great prices too! They had a bus for ID card holders between bases, you had to stop and wait at other shopping area's, like a mall but it was free, from the NAVCOM base real close to Andersen AFB up north all the way to the naval base on the southern end also known as "Big Navy".

The island is 5+ miles wide and 70 miles long but it looks much larger, only trouble is that after going around the island a few times reality sets in and there's not much more to see. 

The scuba diving would be fun, I did some snorkeling on the southern end of the island and there were some scary creatures in there, most of the islands beaches are all corral as you walk into the water and there are some dangerous rip tides, downing is the second largest cause of deaths right behind hitting power line poles.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*States vs Guam*



Phil_expat said:


> A friend of mine here in Phil spoke highly of Guam said he was tired of live here and moved his family there, but that is only one person’s opinion. I was thinking of moving my family there so my wife could get her USA citizenship and still be near the Philippines. I did some research on line and was not happy with all I found but might still do it since near the Philippines


Hands down I would rather live with the wife in the States and no way in Guam, jobs are plenty in the US but not in Guam, trouble is that my wife wants to live in the Philippines so that's my main reason for coming here, I got tired of working in the states all by myself, she stayed here with the kids, I wanted her to live in the US but she got bored but then again I'm from ND. 

Guam will keep your wife occupied and entertained I will give it that and many Philippine citizens to talk with, possibly get her a job or open up other doors.


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