6 things you need to know about being stationed at K-Bay

Being an infantry Marine stationed in Hawai'i is a blessing and a curse. If you get stationed out there, civilians will sarcastically tell you how hard your life is and fellow service members will glare at you with jealousy, but they don't know the truth — not unless they read Terminal Lance, that is.

When you get orders to Hawai'i, you'll probably feel excited right off the bat. If you grew up in the mainland United States and you've never visited, you've likely heard of it as a beautiful, tropical vacation spot. Once you get there, you'll start to realize that, in some ways, it's far from an island paradise.

So, to get you prepared, here are a few things you should know about being stationed out there:

Luckily, you'll get compensated for the cost of living.

Everything is expensive

Mentally prepare yourself now for paying insane prices for things like milk or gasoline. If you're a smoker, you might as well kick the habit now because you'll be paying for every pack at the exchange on base. If you ever plan on leaving to explore the island, you'll pay much more than that.

The facilities suck

Marine Corps Base Hawai'i is small and its size can likely be attributed to the fact that it was originally built to be a Marine Corps Air Station. Only after the fact was it then turned into a full-fledged base equipped to house with infantry battalions and artillery batteries. As you might imagine, there aren't many options for shopping or entertainment on base.

You'll become well acquainted with those humid jungles, don't worry.

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Aaron S. Patterson)

It's always humid

Hawai'i is an island nation covered with a lush rain forest and surrounded by ocean. Not only is the heat intense, but the humidity is thick, making matters much worse. Not a day will go by where you won't sweat — unless you spend the whole day in an air-conditioned building.

At least the sun will be gone for a bit of time.

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isabelo Tabanguil)

It's always raining

Remember how it's always humid? It's because it constantly rains. If you're infantry, you already know that rain is somehow magically, meteorologically attracted to where you are in the world so, don't expect that to change at all in Hawai'i.

The locals hate you

A good amount of them, anyway. If they're not a tattoo artist or business owner, they'll probably have a disdain for you being a part of the United States military. Don't take it personally and just ignore it because there's no point in getting yourself into trouble when, at the end of the day, you're not there by choice, anyway.

It won't take long before you start to feel the claustrophobia.

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Luke Kuennen)

You're stuck on an island

Your ass belongs to the Corps, so you best believe you can't leave that island chain without permission. You can't really even leave O'ahu unless you do some paperwork, so get used to those islands feeling like a prison.

Enjoy!