PROLOGUE

As you may well know, the US Navy has recalled me to active duty so they can loan me to the US Army in Afghanistan for seven months. Why? Apparently someone finally realized that that whole "Army of one" thing wasn't quite doing the job. Now they've been making a habit of pulling officers from the Navy and Air Force and sending them off to do odd jobs on the ground in the Global War on Terror.

I'm still not 100% sure what a naval officer is expected to do on the ground in a land-locked country, but here's a few possibilities I've come up with:

I'm mostly just hoping I don't end up being the missing element in a scene like this:

Of course, I also hold a degree in naval architecture. This means I know all about the design and construction of ships. So I'll be handy for this kind of project:

I'll be wearing what is essentially an Army uniform for the duration of my time in theater. I don't like this idea, but when you consider the fact that snipers are more likely to pick off anyone who looks in any way special, I can see why a proper Navy uniform might be a bad idea:

At first I was a little upset about the idea of going out to do what seems like it should be an Army job. Then I remembered all those times back in the Cold War when the Russians would start acting up and Navy units had to deploy for months at a time on almost no notice. That's when all of those Army guys would get loaned to the Navy to help stand lookout watches and chip paint. Here's one of them:

Actually, that never happened and this deal is a lot of crap. How much crap? A LOT of crap.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to sell the Navy on a new ad campaign. It's probably not very original though:

Anyway, enough jokes, stay tuned for the rest of the story as it unfolds.