I had a couple questions about NFA items.  I am currently deployed, and I am coming home soon... I plan to apply for a couple NFA items.  I am looking at another deployment in the reasonably near future (I volunteered for it) and if my paperwork is approved is there a certain window in which I need to buy the items or it forever as long as its for the weapons on the paperwork?

If I am deployed are their any restrictions on how I have to store it?? would it be fine in a safe in my parents house, whom I more than trust?? or could I leave it in a safe in a storage facility??

And after this next one I do plan on going back to college which would be across the state from my current residence, would I need to seek the approval of the CLEO from where I attend school to have them at school with me??

I think thats all the questions I have right now, if it helps, my current home of record is in Fairfax County, VA and I would be attending school in Radford, VA I beleive both jurisdictions sign off on NFA items.

Let us look at some of the points you raise....  ( I am assuming you meet the age and legal requirements to own NFA items. )  In general you don't apply to be approved before you buy.  Rather you buy, pay for and then get the paperwork to be completed and approved.  The person doing the selling - HOLDS the item / items until the completed (approved and stamped ) paperwork is returned to them by the BATFE.  So the question of how long is the window to buy after the paperwork is approved is a mute point.  The question becomes, if you are redeployed while the paperwork is being processed - how long will the seller hold the item for you after he gets the approved paperwork from the BAFTE.  This you will have to work out with the person or business from which you are buying the item.

Once you have the NFA item, you have to be concerned about storage and securing the item.  If ( when ) you get redeployed, you can store it at your parents house in a LOCKED and SECURE place provided they DO NOT have access to it without you being there.  You probably don't want to store it somewhere that you don't have complete control of.  A "storage facility" may cease doing business while you are deployed.  Oh they will send you a letter saying you have thirty days to remove the contents of your cell and if you don't they dump it.  And you will be screwed.

Once you get back and go off to school, I would think the question should be to the school to ask if they allow guns on campus.  Universities around here do not allow guns by state law.  If you are living off campus, you have to be concerned about SAFE and SECURE storage.  As long as you stay within the State where you registered when you purchased the item, you do not need Federal approval to move it within the State.  You will need to let them ( the Feds ) know if your are going out of State.  It would seem that going from Fairfax County to Radford would not need Fed approval.

It is important to remember, the CLEO of your current residence is not giving you approval to purchase the NFA item.  The Feds give approval.  What the CLEO is doing is telling the Feds he knows of no reason why you should not be approved, that is to say why you are not a fine upstanding member of the community.  What he certifies is that he is the CLEO having jurisdiction in the area of residence of yourself and that he has no information indicating that you will use the firearm or device described on the application for other than lawful purposes.  He also certifies he has no information that the receipt or possession of the firearm or device would be(sic) place you in violation of State or local law.

Hope this helps.

Redneck has it covered.