When sailors are deployed for months at a time, it is hard for them to get the captain to turn the ship around and return to port in order for the sailor to go shopping for military uniform items. Most sailors are experienced enough to know what the sea bag requirements are before they leave port, but there might be many new squids onboard that have not gotten the word.
When a sailor goes to sea, there is still many shopping opportunities available that will give them a new uniform almost in its entirety. The sales and services division is part of the supply department on any Navy vessel. This division is responsible for the smooth operation of the ship's store which sells lots of things a sailor can use while they are underway. This division also handles the day to day operation of the shipboard laundry and the barber shop where officers and crewmen alike can get a regulation haircut.
The ship's store is filled with many uniform items that any sailor might need and some that might be used by any United States Marine Corps people who might be onboard ship because they are support staff who provide a security force to vessels that can not adequately protect themselves. Sailors can shop in the ship's store until right before taps but they can still gaze through the store windows at all of the wonderful items that the ship's store stocks.
Before shopping at a ship's store, a sailor will have to make sure that they have plenty of cash because Navy vessels are not equipped with credit card machines but some do have automatic teller machines that crewmen can use while in port. The military uniform items will be the same articles that are sold on shore, but the quantities will be limited in all of the sizes.
A sailor might need a new pair of dungaree pants because the old ones were ripped while they were working aloft on the ship's radio transmission systems. Some sailors might have had their names sewn in beautiful embroidery over the pocket of the matching chambray shirt that got damaged at work and they will have to go shopping and buy another one and a stencil pen too and inscribe the name by hand on the new uniform shirt because it can not be worn without it.
Most sailors want to present a very professional image in the uniforms they wear everyday on the ship so they will visit the ship's store often to buy freshly dyed dungarees or one of the summer or winter uniforms items on a regular basis. When shopping for winter or summer uniforms though, they will have to buy chevrons that indicate rank and sew them on the left sleeve during the underway period just so they can stand watch in port when the ship returns from sea.
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