I loved the detail about the base being under-manned because they were between rotations. When I was stationed at Fort Irwin the base worked in cycles. Units would arrive for training and remain for exactly 28 days. During that time it was all-hands-on-deck for the people assigned to the base and we'd routinely work through weekends. After the training unit left we'd go into a stand-down period, where people got a chance to take a break. The OPFOR unit (currently 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment) would focus on maintenance and normal soldier skills. The training evaluation units would make sure the ranges and support systems work, develop plans, etc.

During the inter-rotation periods people would take time off and there was always at least one 4-day weekend when virtually the entire base closed down. Since a large portion of the soldiers assigned to Fort Irwin lived off base, and virtually all of the civilian workers did, the place was a virtual ghost-town during these periods. Ironic, weapons for thousands without enough bodies to man them!

FYI, Yermo, where Puck earned his blood stripes, is a small town east of Barstow. It's important because the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Yermo is the closest point that the railroad comes to Fort Irwin. That's where equipment and supplies for Fort Irwin are delivered, and there's a large military warehouse center there.