Families of the service members assigned to Mountain Warfare Training Center Bridgeport, Calif., gathered Wednesday after work to discuss the future possibilities of changes coming to the base.

The meeting’s purpose was to gather input from the families about changes needed to make their lives aboard the remote base easier, like building a commissary and a gas station in the base housing area in Coleville, Calif., said Terry Phillips, a director with Facility Programming and Consulting in Houston, who hosted the meeting.

“It’s a big brainstorming session,” said the Houston native. “We know changes need to be made, but aside from a possible commissary and gas station, we don’t know what yet.

“The commissary and gas station are still speculative ideas as well,” Phillips said. “But, it looks like those two look more realistic than anything else.”

The idea of a commissary was the first and most important deal being discussed at the session, he said. Residents of base housing and the surrounding small towns could benefit from having a large-scale shopping center in their immediate area.

“We all agree to the fact a commissary would be a huge help around here,” he said. “We’re very far away from places with big name, low price stores. People here have to drive to Carson City [Nev.] or other larger places to buy groceries at a good price.”

Phillips hinted at another possibility of interest to the Marines and sailors’ families – a gas station located on or near base housing.

“A possibility for a gas station out here would be another idea for the families,” he said. “It would have to be used for privately owned vehicles in place of the one on base, which is for government vehicles. They have a waiver to sell gasoline, as well as use it on government property.”

One Marine aboard the base liked the idea of having a gas station out near base housing, in lieu of using one on base for both.

Building a gas station in base housing would make this job easier, said Sgt. Mark D. Wade, a bulk fuel specialist at MWTC, and a native of Ocean City, Md. Instead of acting as a gas station attendant for POVs, I can focus more on maintenance and fuel supply checks at the pumps.

In addition to a new commissary and gas station, more plans are in the works to improve quality of life for service members and families aboard MWTC.