Sgt. Semanu Putuga and his wife, Daria, intently studied the computer screen in front of them.  They were hunting for a place to live.

"This service is the perfect thing for new arrivals like us to use to find a place to live," said Putuga, a new arrival from Fort Campbell, Ky., as he and his wife looked at a photograph of a house they were interested in renting. 

The service Putuga referred to is the Automated Housing Referral Network, or AHRN.  The service represents a way for soldiers to find quality rental housing.

Sponsored by the Defense Department, the network is already on 79 military installations.  For now, the Army leads the pack with 29 posts offering the service; the Air Force offers the service on 27 bases. Not surprisingly, Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base served as test sites for the network.

The Army has been bringing posts online to the network on a regular basis since testing of the program began in early 2004.

"The bugs have been worked out of the system," explained Nancy Barnes, chief of the post's Housing Services Office, or HSO.  "This is a quality product; it's ready for the soldiers to use," she added.

The HSO is located in Waller Hall.  The office is open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday. On Thursday, the office closes at 3 p.m.

Currently, soldiers can use two computer stations to search for rental properties. Maps, telephones and an experienced staff assist soldiers by answering questions and providing insight into the area.  

Between 2005 and 2006, over 25,000 individuals used the network.

The rebasing of soldiers makes AHRN even more important due to the large number of service members moving, said Phyllis Newton, a program analyst in the Defense Department's housing and sourcing office.  The idea behind AHRN is to make it easier for soldiers to find housing before they make a move.

"I've had soldiers e-mail me as they travel across the country in order to begin the process of finding a place to live," added Nancy Bundick, a housing management assistant in the HSO.  "Soldiers who are relocating can look at places to live before they get here," she added.

The network can be found online at: www.ahrn.com. Military personnel are the only prospective tenants who can register to use the site. However, they can register an additional user, such as a spouse.

And the rentals listed on the site are up to snuff.

"To be listed on the site, landlords offering properties for rental must meet minimum standards before they will be listed," continued Bundick.  "With the network, we offer soldiers a service which allows them to check out rentals, and we have the time to go out and inspect the property to ensure compliance," she added.

Over 500 landlords in the Puget Sound area are involved, and more are liable to join.

"Landlords love to rent to military members," added Barnes.  "They know that soldiers will pay their rent and treat the property correctly," she added.