I hear ya, there's some nasty stuff for sale and for big bucks too. Years ago, for awhile there, every time I shopped at Sam's I would buy two bags of Teriyaki flavor Jack Link's. That stuff couldn't have been too bad because we'd make it disappear in short order. Home made is better.
It won't hurt to ask.... the worst they could say is, no. I try to slice it so it's not thinner than 3/16" or thicker than 1/4".
No, I never made it to Lejeune..... mostly Camp Hansen, Okinawa and Camp Pendleton, CA.