Employed 7 part 5

Until Alaska l always spent the night in the barracks. (while in training, every activity, indoors or out is closely controlled and required for all soldiers and a
lot of it takes place in one's assigned barracks.) At a working post, a bed in a barracks is provided and the bed and the area around it must be ready for inspection except if in use. But, at a working post that goes 24/7 the barracks
can be less than tolerable; people coming and going, night and day and an 
unbelievable cacophony of from 3 to5 hi-fi sets trying to out-do each other at
any hour of the day or nite. When l'd been at WS about two weeks, l met a
new guy named Gary. A smart likeable easy-going sort that l immediately
liked. We talked for a while (mostly about putting the barracks behind us. We
soon decided to go to Kenai and look for a place that might, be affordable if
shared by two. Gary had arrived at WS about a month before l did and had
already bought  a car. A 1941 ford sedan,in very nice shape, for a price that l thought very reasonable (though l don't remember now what it was).

We stopped at Lil's Cafe in kenai to look at her billboard. An hour later, having rented a cabin with a furnished kitchen, a large bedroom with two beds, a clean, tight bathroom with shower and a small, but comfy living
room we returned to WS, loaded our stuff into Gary's car, except that which
would be needed to maintain an inspectable bed and foot locker display,and
returned to our new digs. Neither of us had really taken a good look at the
back of the cabin. When we did look out in that direction, we discovered
that the cabin's back door was only about 40 feet from the edge of a cliff
that drops to the beach about 80 feet below which is part of the shore of the
Cook lnlet. The view from the backyard, of the inlet and the mountains framing it became the first of very many staggeringly beautiful vistas that
convinced me that,after completing my enlistment, l would become a permanent resident of Alaska.

l'm pretty sure it's not against regulations for enlisted soldiers to maintain
off-post housing. Commissioned officers and married enlistees are provided 
private residences for themselves and/or themselves and family on post.
Single enlistees are only provided a private room if they are non-commis
sioned officers. (Corporals,Sargents). The rest get  a 33inch wide bed, a foot
locker and a wall locker in an open bay, shared with 50 others. The command
likes everything to proceed as designated. Those who don't completely com-
ply, will naturally feel some persuasive initiative pointed their way, for even
the slightest deviation.

Because l had spent time in the National Guard in Elko and ROTC at UNR,
the Army started me at pay grade E2, instead of E1,the usual entry grade.
When we graduated we were all given a promotion to the next pay grade.
Most of the class moved from E1 to E2. l moved from E2 to E3, which is also
called Private First Class. (one stripe). Big deal;it added about two bux to
my monthly pay. lt didn't last long, anyway:Soldiers have two chains of com-
mand; one at the job and one at the barracks. l was never really sure who was
my sargent at work, but sargent Clayton made it clear to me that he was my
barracks sargent when he reduced my rank (paygrade) to E2. l had to remove
the stripes myself. (two from each of my four uniforms).He said l was supposed to reside in the barracks during our conversation but didn't order
me to do so. He also said l was in danger of becoming an E1. Hey, l never
been one of those before!

Within a couple weeks Operations sent me on Temporary Duty to 
some of  the Aleutian islands and St. Lawrence lsland in the Bering Sea.
During that entire trip, l did nothing that could be considered work. Yet,
it was a lot of fun; at each stop, an officer (usually a First Lieutenant or
Captain) who would meet me at the airport, drop me at the post and check
on me later, to take me to observe works at Operations or to meals. Often, 
l'd be taken on island tours that included stops to visit with locals or to
observe the unique sights.