Hello. Saw the career mangler today, and was told that promotion to Cpl is entirely time-in, but you should have some sort of half-assed plan to get your 5's and leadership courses by that time. Unless you are prego or sick the whole time. He also told me that Greenwood 2011 is entirely do-able, so that is what I am shooting for- tour July'10 and then Greenwood for APS 2011. Sounds OK, and I'll be a Cpl by then too. The tour I am slated for is the typical "girly" overseas sandbox tour made famous by the "experiences may vary" poster, and that is all right by me too. If they told me that the guns were my only option, sure, but I have no extra desire to go outside the wire for the same cash and career prospects that are going to be mine by staying in KAF, so there you go. And the MWO seems to think I will be going. So all the ducks are lining up in a nice tight row.

And the new Gabaldon book is pretty good so far too. Not as much humour so far, but it is there, underneath, and may yet come out. It seems like a good read, and the fact that Arch Bug has already come out of hiding is a good sign for the book in general, even if it is for his wife's funeral.