Kid in a candy store...

Military Clothing sales stores. Gear stores. Surplus stores. Training facilities. Military networks and phone lines.

These are all things that I don't have access to regularly. Even on and around our Guard base, we only have the communications facilities.

While it was annoying to be turned away from a jump, we were able to schedule the necessary training fairly quickly. Now we've got the necessary training and paperwork and hopefully we can get in on a jump tomorrow. We did get officially manifested for it, but the last minute nature of the planning led to some minor SNAFUs. Either way, I'm now good to go on a new piece of a equipment.

I have also been able to pick up some uniform items for some of my guys that are specific to our very small career field. They have been backordered indefinitely from every internet source and are not even carried at any on post uniform store. Fortunately, one of the largest surplus stores in town had a whole bunch in stock. Nice.

Incidentally, that surplus store is the surplus store that any shady surplus store in movies is based on. I am sure that like the in so bad it's good classic "Commando", this store has some weird secret rooms full of weapons and weird crazy stuff. As it is, there are piles of used uniforms, used equipment, and various things that Joe (generic soldier) sold, legally/or not so legally, upon leaving the service or upon needing to pay the the 4549873459873495% interest on the car he bought off base with his deployment money. I was able to score a few spare items and get an extra name badge sewn up dirt cheap there.

I was also able to get issued some extra communications gear. Granted, my unit doesn't own the radios it is mean for, but we do borrow them during exercises and when needed. Babysteps. Similarly, while working on some funding solutions for improved cold weather and protective equipment for my team, I've been able to identify some cheaper solutions on some packages than what is currently being bought. Even better, the equipment I found is in the same camouflage pattern as the field uniforms we will be issued. While my guys won't be able to wear it around town like some folks are doing with the high end stuff in solid colors that they were issued, it will be more effective.
Besides, I did get issued a very nice Marmot jacket for some mountain work I did. It wasn't designed for operational use, but works just fine on the street.

I also picked up some extra food to get through what should be the rest of my time here and cover me on the ride over. My equipment is all loaded in the cargo containers. So now I'm living out of my back pack. One uniform. PT gear. And a set or two of civilian clothing. And a toothbrush, etc. Of course. Computer and paperwork in my briefcase. Good to go. Now, um, just to go...

Thankfully, there are laundry facilities here.