This “Living on Kwajalein Atoll” guide will get you sailing to a desert island, lounging on a white sand beach, eating in the chow hall, and enjoying island nightlife. It explains how to get here, things to do, where to stay, what to see, where to eat, and more.
by Worldwide Wilbur, November 2018
Living on Kwajalein Atoll is unlike any other US Army post in the world.
Army Garrison Kwajalein is a restricted ballistic missile research and testing site, on a remote island leased from the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). Totalling just 1.2 square miles, around 1,000 American soldiers, defense contractors providing logistics support, and their family members, are living on Kwajalein Atoll. It is covered in palm trees, an airstrip, big concrete buildings, green grass, and paved roads. One one side of the island is the worlds largest lagoon, on the other side, the open Pacific Ocean. Living on Kwajalein feels like you’ve been transported through time and space to a decaying US Army base located in the Florida keys in 1985.
Kwajalein was a major battleground in WWII.
Kwajalein Atoll had little involvement with the outside world until German occupation from 1899, and then a Japanese takeover after World War One. Japan used Korean slave labor to fortify and militarize Kwajalein in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. U.S. air forces softened up the Japanese defenses by destroying all their aircraft in carrier-based air raids in December of 1943, and January of 1944. They then took the atoll in a bloody four-day battle known as Operation Flintlock on February 3, 1944. 46,000 US Navy, Marines, and Army soldiers took on about 8,000 Japanese. 36,000 artillery shells were fired from the battleship Tennesee and from Army artillery on captured Carlson island. B-24’s dropped bombs from the air.
After four days, only a couple hundred Japanese soldiers were still alive and they were captured by amphibious landing Army troops. Mass graves for the 4,300 Japanese casualties were hastily dug, and are at least one is still somewhere hidden underground. Residents are not allowed to dig more than 6 inches into their lawns, but that’s less about mass graves than it is about unexploded ordnance from 1944.
Immediately after WWII, the US kept control of the Marshall Islands, and used Kwajalein as the command center for 67 nuclear bomb tests on Bikini and Enewetak Atolls from 1946 to 1963. In 1964, the United States started anti-ballistic missile testing with the Nike-Zeus program, with Kwajalein as the hub.
What can you do for fun living on Kwajalein Atoll?
- go sailing to desert island Bigej, on a friend of a friend’s sailboat from the Kwajalein Yacht Club.
- go deep sea fishing on another friend’s powerboat.
- Swim and relax at the man-made white sand beach.
- Snorkel right from shore. The spot by the beach on the lagoon side is best. It has a concrete stair entry, and very shallow water.
- Go SCUBA diving to one of the many wrecks in the lagoon. Tank refills are available at the marina shop.
- go Windsurfing or Kitesurfing in the reliable 14mph trade winds. You’ll have to borrow the equipment from someone, there is none for rent.
- Bicycle laps around the island. You’ll have to borrow a bike from someone, there are none for rent.
- Play 9 holes on the Kwajalein Atoll golf course by the airstrip.
- Ride the ferry for a day trip to Ebeye Island. (free) Just walk over and get on.
Kwajalein is among the most remote spots of land on Earth.
It is 2000 miles from Australia, 2100 miles from Japan, and 2100 miles from Hawaii. The only way to truly appreciate how enormous the Pacific Ocean is, is to spend a couple of days flying over it. Hawaii is 5.5 hours from the mainland USA. Kwajalein Atoll is another 6 hours in the same direction. And if there was a direct flight to Australia, it would be a further 6 hours. That’s 17 hours of flying 500 miles per hour, and all you would see in that time is a couple large Hawaiian islands, and some specks of land in the Marshall’s.
Living on Kwajalein Atoll is like being in a perpetual summer camp for adults.
Everyone cycles slowly from place to place, waving to each person they pass. Someone is having a party every weekend and you are invited. Everyone knows someone who has a sailboat. Kwaj attracts the adventurous types. Folks are moving there from Antarctica, or leaving on a sailboat for a year. Some have been there for twenty years. Some would probably prefer to retire, but you can’t retire and stay on Kwaj, so they keep working. It’s a tight-knit community where people help each other out.
Kwajalein is in fact a real army base.
Kwaj really is a regular old Army base with the standard brown signs on every concrete building, but with the best background scenery of any base on Earth. You can jump in right off the shore for some excellent snorkeling at one end. Then relax at a beautiful man-made white sand beach nearby. The base has all the modern conveniences you’d expect anywhere else. The grocery store is stocked with all the American staples like Doritos, and doughnuts, and soda. You can buy the most up to date cell phones and electronic accessories next door. Apartments and houses have good air conditioning and wi-fi. People here live a much, much, much better life than on any other remote Pacific island.
Kwajalein Atoll Jobs:
There are always a few open jobs here. You must be a U.S. citizen. Many jobs require a security clearance. Some are “unaccompanied”, so not so good for married folks. Check out open Kwajalein jobs here: KwajNet
Cost of Living on Kwajalein Atoll:
Living on Kwajalein island is not only a great lifestyle, it can also be very lucrative. You can eat three meals a day for free at the cafeteria. All housing is owned by the US Army, and is free for contract workers. Electricity and water service is free. If you are a contractor (as most people are) you don’t have to pay US Federal taxes on your salary, only a 5% Republic of Marshall Islands tax. If you are smart enough to claim a US state with no income tax as your “permanent residence”, you’d pay no state income tax either. Most Kwajalein jobs include a stipend for a plane ticket to the mainland once a year for your vacation. You have literally zero expenses, and could conceivably save 85% of your salary!
What about the Marshallese?
Many Marshallese work on Kwaj, but they all have to be off the island within two hours of the end of their shift. The Army provides a free ferry to nearby Ebeye island where all the workers live. It seems like a strange version of apartheid, but there are lots of American civilians who work on military bases on the mainland, who also don’t get to live on that base. It’s just that here instead of driving home after work, they take a ferry to another island. And believe me, Ebeye is not just another island, it is a whole other planet away from Kwaj.
How can you stay active on Kwajalein?
When you aren’t at your job, you can swim in one of two saltwater pools, play on multiple tennis courts, racquetball courts, and basketball courts. There are playing fields for baseball, softball, and soccer. The Corlett Recreational Center (CRC) has indoor basketball, volleyball and soccer. There is a nine-hole golf course near the airport, a bowling alley, libraries, a fitness center and two movie theaters. You can rent boats for water skiing and fishing at the Kwajalein marina. You can spear-fish, deep-sea fish and scuba dive. Whatever you like to do, it’s happening in Kwaj, and you can find someone to join you. Except for skiing. The skiing isn’t so good.
Go before the islands cease to exist.
The average height above sea level in Kwajalein is only 6 feet. Once sea level rises 16 inches above its current state, the entire Marshall Islands drinking water aquifer will become undrinkable, rendering the entire nation uninhabitable. Scientists project that this WILL occur sometime between 2045 and 2083. The population will have to move. There is no plan for where as yet.
Things to Know Before you go to Kwajalein:
Kwaj Backpacker Daily Budget:
$27. Your housing will likely be free (there are no independent hotels), your meals $6 each at the cafeteria, beers are $3. There is not much else to spend money on.
Cheap Beer index:
$3 for a Bud Lite at the only bar on island, the Ocean View Club.
When to visit Kwajalein Atoll:
At 8 degrees above the equator, the temperature never changes on Kwaj. Highs are 86, lows 77, every day, year round. There is a rainy season from mid-April to mid-December, and is rains 10-12 inches a month during this time. January, February, and March are the driest months, with 4 inches of rain monthly.
What languages are spoken on Kwajalein Atoll?
English, and also Marshallese by the day-workers from Ebeye.
Do you need a Marshall Islands visa?
Republic of Marshall Islands visas are not required for US citizens, who can stay as long as they like. Visas are not required for UK citizens (until Brexit), who can stay for up to 90 days. AUS and CAN citizens can get a free tourist Visa On Arrival to stay for up to 30 days. They must provide a “police record” dated within last 3 months, and a “health clearance” showing they are free from HIV/AIDS and TB; dated within last 3 months. All visitors must have a passport valid for at least six months, must have sufficient funds for stay, and have an onward/return air or sea ticket. (NOTE: These are Republic of Marshall Islands tourism rules, none of which exactly apply to Kwajalein – see below)
However, living on Kwajalein island is restricted to active-duty US military personnel and civilian contractors with proper orders. Kwajalein tourism is NOT accessible to the general public. You can only visit if you are “sponsored” by a U.S. citizen working on the island. Your on-Kwaj contact will process paperwork to get you “Entry Authorization” orders. United Airlines will not allow you on the plane without these orders. So, if you want to visit Kwaj, better start networking among military contractors in the Pacific region. You could start with the KwajNet facebook group. Or check out Kwajalein jobs here: KwajNet
Getting to Kwajalein Atoll:
Flights to Marshall Islands: 99% of visitors to Kwaj arrive via United Airlines at Bucholz Army Airfield (KWA). United Airlines “Island Hopper” Flight 154 departs from Honolulu, Hawaii on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and costs $1400+ roundtrip. It makes one short stop in Majuro, taking a total of seven hours. The Island Hopper flight 155 departs from Guam Monday, Wednesday and Friday and costs $1200+ roundtrip. It makes stops in Chuuk, Pohnpei and sometimes Kosrae, taking around seven hours. You REALLY want to fight for a window seat on either of these flights. Seeing these little islands pop up out of the endless blue ocean is magical. You can de-plane at any of these stops to look around, take pictures, and buy a snack in the tiny one-room airports.
Ideally, you should book your flight using United Mileage Plus Miles. While the cheapest round trip flights to Marshall Islands from Honolulu are an eye watering $1400, you can book it for just 55,000 United miles, which have a calculated value of only $825. I booked a multi-city flight from Maui via Honolulu with three stops in Kwajalein, Pohnpei, and Palau and then back to Maui using just 67,500 United Mileage Plus miles. If you are booking an island hopping trip, you can choose to stop in any or all of the four Micronesian islands, the two Marshall islands, and Guam and Palau. To learn the most efficient way to accumulate United Miles, please check out my page Nine Steps to Free Flights Worldwide.
Air Marshall Islands also lands here, and provides service to 13 other islands in the RMI.
When you land at KWA, you’ll quickly learn this is not a normal airport. There will be a flight announcement that it is illegal to take photos of any government buildings once on the tarmac. Kwajalein is de jure part of the Republic of Marshall Islands, but it is de facto 100% America. The US pays $18 million a year to the Marshall Islands government to lease Kwaj, which then pays the owners of the islands because all land is privately held. The lease is in force until 2066, with an option through 2086.
There is no contact with RMI government for any customs or immigration. You’ll be met at the stairs by a couple of very serious, large, armed American police. They’ll direct you to walk into an open-air cage of concrete and fencing. You’ll sit on plastic chairs, and be given papers to fill out. The large, serious men with guns will tell you all the rules of being on Kwaj. No betel nut chewing. Do not touch fences. No entering unauthorized areas. Many of the people in the cage are Marshallese citizens who are continuing on to the nearby island of Ebeye. Those folks are led into a waiting van, which takes them directly to the ferry to Ebeye. No one wanders around Kwajalein unknown. You’ll get a badge which you must wear (or at least have) at all times on the island. Once you have your badge, you’ll be let out of the cage, where your “sponsor” has been waiting. Welcome to Kwaj!
Getting around Kwajalein Island:
There are no personally-owned cars for anyone living on Kwajalein. It is possible to rent a truck or a golf cart for a couple of hours if you need to move stuff from one end of the island to another. The vast majority of your travel on island will be by bicycle. Bicycles aren’t available for rent, but every resident has at least one, and someone will have an extra clunker you can use. Normen “Auntie” Sablas has a fleet of 85 bikes available for free to visitors.
Kwaj Currency and how to get it:
U.S. Dollars are used everywhere in the Marshall Islands, and are available at a couple of ATMs. For more info on your cash-versus-credit card options when travelling, check out my post on How to Access your Money in Foreign Countries.
Kwajalein Internet and Phone Service:
There are no cell phone towers on the island. Landline phones are still in use all over the island. Phone calls are free. WiFi is available in all homes, and some businesses. For more info on your telecom options, check out my post on How to Get Cheap Mobile Phone Service Worldwide.
Kwajalein Atoll Real Estate:
You can’t buy a home here. In fact, there are only two options for lodging; stay for free with your sponsor in their house or apartment, or stay at the Kwaj Lodge.
- Kwaj Lodge – basic motel rooms. You won’t find it on Booking.com, cause it can only be booked by your sponsor.
Where to eat on Kwaj:
- Captain Louis S. Zamperini Dining Facility – This Army-style chow hall is the biggest food option on island. Meals here are free for local staff, so pretty much everyone living on Kwajalein eats here. It’s all-you-can-eat buffet style, and pretty darn good. And it’s named for the wartime hero of the book and movie Unbroken who was held here for 42 days and tortured in a Japanese POW camp. Watch this film before your visit. You’ll see why it’s kinda funny they named, of all things, a dining facility after Captain Zamperini.
- Subway – tastes just like your Subway at home.
- Burger King – somehow not quite as good as your Burger King back home.
- Donato’s Pizza – serves by the slice. Tastes like pizza.
Kwajalein Island Nightlife:
There are only four types of nightlife on Kwaj, and they generally occur in the following order:
- Start with a backyard barbecue at someone’s house by the ocean. Only married folks and high-ranking military living on Kwajalein get assigned to an actual house. These tend to be the kind of folks who can afford to feed lots of people. They may also prefer to shut it down early.
- Alternately, there might be a party at the Kwajalein Yacht Club. You don’t even need to own a yacht to attend.
- Next you move on to a party in someone’s apartment. Apartments get assigned to single folks. These parties can go late. But if it starts to wind down…
- You end the night at the Ocean View Club aka “The Snake Pit“. This is the only actual bar on the island. It’s an A-frame building open to the air, and it has an ocean-side view. It has a full liquor bar, and beers are $3 and up. There is a dance floor, and a free computer-jukebox behind bulletproof/drunkproof glass. You might find 2 or 20 people there on a given night. It is the last stop of any night out on the town, as is open til 3am. Expect to find folks too drunk to speak or move.
Get a Marshall Islands guidebook:
There are NO guidebooks that cover Kwajalein.
What to Pack for Kwaj:
You can get the basics you need on Kwaj, but not at Amazon or Walmart prices. It’s better to bring with you quality gear at mainland prices. You also don’t want to be spending your limited vacation time searching for the right stuff. Here is what I use, and recommend you bring:
While these items are of particular importance to make the most of your visit, it would be worth checking out my Ultimate Travel Packing List that covers everything you might need for your trip.
Is Kwajalein safe?
Kwaj is about the safest place on Earth. Everyone living on Kwajalein had to pass a government background check to get there. There is no known crime, other than the occasional drunk “borrowing” of a clunker bicycle.
The water is safe to drink, thanks to the efforts of master water engineer Eric Nystrom.
There are big black-tip and nurse sharks in the water by the marina. Maybe not the best place to go snorkeling.
If you bicycle around the airstrip, pay attention to the sign that reads “WATCH FOR AIRCRAFT”. United flight 154 landing on your head is to be avoided.
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