An aerial view of Kwaj with important places labeled (click for full size)
Kwajalein is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, approximately half-way between Hawaii and Australia. At only 8.7 degrees North latitude (ie 8 degrees north of the equator), Kwajalein’s climate is the definition of tropical. The temperature of the surrounding ocean runs in the 80s year round so the air temperature on Kwajalein rarely strays far from that range either. Tropical storms are rare, and Typhoons rarer, but they do occur.
Kwajalein Island is the southern-most, and biggest, island of the 100+ islands that make up Kwajalein Atoll. The United States Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) and Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Test Site (RTS) are located on Kwajalein and several other islands in the Atoll.
A note about the time: Kwaj is technically ahead of the states by about 18 hours. But it’s easier to think of them as being behind by 6 hours so that morning in the states is the middle of the night on Kwaj. If you call family or friends, just make sure it’s evening in the states and you should be all right!
