Tis the season…for cold, dreary weather in much of the country. I can’t complain now from the sunny west coast, but I lived through my fair share of east coast winters earlier in life. They were, in a word, miserable.
If you can empathize due to present circumstances – if you find yourself gazing out windows at an imaginary swimming pool like Chevy Chase in “Christmas Vacation” – turn off that sunlight lamp and fire up your job search. Your new cleared career could be waiting in Hawaii.
Before you scoff at the prospect, consider this: Hawaii is host to thousands of jobs requiring security clearances. The Department of Defense footprint there is enormous. NSA operates an installation there. And all that government means a whole lot of government contractors providing critical support services – even in weird times like we’re in now.
That makes your security clearance a valuable commodity in the Land of Aloha. You might need it given the cost of living, but can you really put a price on paradise? If you’re coming from a major city like Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, or New York, you might even find the cost of living only marginally more expensive (or, in the case of Manhattan, less).
Hawaii Opportunities for Clearance Holders
Regardless, opportunities for clearance holders abound in Hawaii. Here are a few of the major employment hubs worth investigating.
Camp H.M. Smith
Part of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Camp H.M. Smith hosts several key USMC operational elements, including the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, a Force Recon detachment, and helicopter squadrons, among other units.
Schoefield Barracks
Home of the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, Schoefield Barracks hosts a number of training elements, including the Air Assault School and Land Navigation Course.
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
The most famed of the military’s installations in Hawaii, this is the headquarters of both the Pacific Air Forces and U.S. Pacific Command. It hosts the world’s largest communication station, along with a submarine maintenance facility.
Fort Shafter
Command, control, and support of most U.S. Army operations in the Asia-Pacific theater are directed from Fort Shafter. It is the oldest military base in Hawaii and reportedly hosts over 7,500 active-duty military personnel, making it the size of a small city.
Guard Your Security Clearance
As always, ClearanceJobs is a great place to look for your next cleared gig – including in Hawaii. But if Hawaii still seems too far afield, the plethora of available jobs there is a good reminder that your security clearance opens career opportunities in many places beyond the Washington, D.C. beltway. That includes some perhaps surprising locales like Las Vegas, which I wrote about last year, and other destinations that might prove valuable for family, health, or cost-of-living reasons. Geographic mobility is one of many reasons why I encourage all clearance holders to jealously guard their security clearance and keep it active.
This article is intended as general information only and should not be construed as legal advice. Although the information is believed to be accurate as of the publication date, no guarantee or warranty is offered or implied. Laws and government policies are subject to change, and the information provided herein may not provide a complete or current analysis of the topic or other pertinent considerations. Consult an attorney regarding your specific situation.
