Huh?

You know how snippets of conversations run through your head?

Yesterday I was talking with a lady whose car was sporting an officers DOD sticker from Fort Polk, LA. She told me that her husband is an Infantry officer, with 12 years of active service. He is about to be promoted to Major (04) and has orders to a battalion scheduled to go to Iraq. I asked if this was his second tour, and she said that No, this is his first tour to the Middle East. He was in Kosovo during the late '90's and really liked it over there. He doesn't have a CIB yet because he hasn't been in an active combat zone.

Now, the next night, I am sitting at my desk, thinking. How the hell could a career soldier, an infantryman with 12 years of service, have not yet been to Iraq or Afganistan?

Evidently the rotations are not as bad as they seem, or this guy is a REMF of the highest caliber.