Modifications to orders can take on many shapes and sizes. Some can completely change just about everything and some can make just a minor adjustment. My orders to mobilize included a short little line saying that no rental car was authorized while in North Carolina at the Deployment Processing Center. This is irksome.
Camp Lejeune is a very big place. There will be training events all over the base and when I got hold of my contact at the DPC he said they had no drivers and vehicles to spare for carting me around. So I sent of an email to my home unit and asked them to include a rental car.
I know what goes through the mind of the person approving the funding for orders like this. If we authorize a rental car they'll just use it to have an extended vacation at the Marine Corps expense. (Never mind that a taxi from and back to the airport will cost almost the same amount as a couple of weeks rental; those funds come out of a different pot of money.) Plus there is also a general ethos amongst Marines that luxuries are to be avoided. Air Force guys always get rentals and good hotel rooms, they simply won't go on temporary duty without them...
So I got my modification with one little line on it saying rental car authorized. These are some of the steps you have to go through to get anything done. And to enjoy some little trips around North Carolina before heading overseas.
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