Though the hundreds in their parked cars expected no announcement over gas station speakers, they seemed to find community in a common bond. Inside the Army's largest U.S. post, they all had loved ones stuck on the other side of a chasm between the civilian and military worlds.
Through air clouded with cigarette smoke, they peered at gates partially obscured by legions of officers and squad cars. They spoke very little, but many futilely punched unresponsive cell phones, trying to get signals through jammed lines.
