Elaborate.

For those guys based in Guam, is the commuter policy the same?

I have a friend considering the trip, but, they are also living in Japan and he is asking me about the feasibility of commuting to/from Guam.

Anyone willing to PM me an email so I can pass along to him...

Correct. I enjoyed some TAD there, and probably could have found stuff to do in the region for a year or so. I wouldn't have wanted a PCS, and most wives would appreciate that even less. But it's worth checking out on a temporary basis, especially if you like to dive (or are willing to learn).

There were unfilled GUM vacancies, so in a way the junior guy has yet to be hired.

Did a year (commuted) way back when and highly recommend it- some of the best diving anywhere.

Commute from JP is doable, but as with any commute, you lose time at home vs. just living in base. If he is currently commuting from JP to the US, I can’t imagine GUM would be any worse. GUM RSV rules allow you to “compress” all your off days into a single block. It is possible to do basically the same with a line based on your seniority & as long as you are willing to sacrifice trip quality for scheduling preferences. Some guys even use this to commute from the mainland US, although I wouldn’t personally put myself through that.

Since the last person to ask this question received PMs, I am curious on the pros/cons to being based in GUM. I'm not on property yet (but hopeful) I might be interested in basing my family there for a few years while everyone is still really young.

Looking for some updates on the United Guam base. Is Guam ever awarded to new hires? If not, how long would it take to be awarded Guam. How are the schedules and flying for a junior person there? Thanks

Guam is often available. Even if it's not listed you can request it on day one and you're chances are still good of landing it.

GUM is a really small base (around 60 crews) so movement here tends to be touch & go. Over the past few years we’ve seen multiple displacements as we’ve lost various flight segments, though that’s sort of tapered off and we’ve been seeing a few new hires coming in over the past year or so. I don’t really see growth in GUM’s future, but the combination of CA retirements & upgrade/widebody opportunities back home has provided a modest flow of vacancies in recent months. No guarantee of future vacancies by a long shot.

Benefits for a new hire are starting out on 2nd year pay, plus scheduling flexibility & proximity to some awesome travel destinations. Drawbacks include distance from the mainland, limited non-rev options for getting off the rock, and lots of all night flying- especially for junior guys.