Just to add a point for consideration .... for those items that do not get returned to the Supply System, most end up being discarded because they are not seen to have any real value to the original owner, or to children, etc., as estates are cleaned out. While Branch/Corps and Regimental Museums are seldom actively looking for items still in current use, especially uniforms, in a few decades when more comprehensive displays are being built that look back on the current period, they will then be desirable and in demand by those Museums. Shipping things off to your Branch/Corps/Regimental museum should always be a consideration, this works for uniforms as well as other, seemingly mundane, items that you might think about throwing away at the end of a tour, or a career. A mission AOR map or a set of daily notes may not seem very important at this pont in your life/career, but to a researcher looking at a mission or other events in 20 or 30 years, it could be a gold mine of details. For many items, when the Museum has a surplus, it will dispose of things through various means, but the unique items, whether it be because they are complete and/or well documented (such as whose, worn when, how worn, etc.) will be retained as their future value to the organization will be recognized by an efficient Curator.
