My MA is fixing to go to Bahrain within about the next month. Will he be able to take and use his laptop and cell phone? Also, the post at the top of the group page says they have to use prepay phones and that some carriers CANNOT receive from these phones.....did you mean that Verizon (my carrier and my son's) will not except these calls and texts? Can he get a prepay phone to use there before he leaves?And does he need a civilian passport to be able to leave base? Will he be able to use his debit card at the stores on base and what about off base? What about leave? My son hasn't been home since June 2009 and he has about 30+ days on the books right now. There was some confusion/he was mis informed when he was getting his travel packet ready to leave Norfolk and go to Mississippi and California for pre-Bahrain training. He thought that he would be able to take leave before going to Bahrain, but when he turned his travel packet in he was told he was supposed to request leave before he left his duty station(Norfolk) to go to Mississippi. Does the Navy grant leave for the sailors before they are scheduled to leave the country so they can spend time with their families? I believe he is going mobile security and that he is scheduled to be there for a year. He said he probably will not get any kind of leave before he goes but says he MIGHT be able to get leave from over there around x-mas(not going to hold my breath for that one!) or shorlty after! Any info anyone can give me about this deployment(right word?) would be helpful. Also if anyone has an MA going over soon (mine is June) drop me a line! I'm new at this and any info would be very helpful and appreciated!