I have been told...

I have been told that in the Army the only thing you can count on is change…

I have been told that I’m here now for 265 days; and using the new timeline, I should have 170 days to go… I’m over 60% done! I have started to allow myself to initiate thoughts about what is going to happen when I depart Iraq.

I have been told that we could be back in Texas before Christmas… This will put the deployment at 14 and one half months. I could not even comprehend being away for that long when I first left – but now I can almost see a light at the end of this ever growing tunnel.

I have been told that my next assignment will be going to the Command and General Staff College in Ft Leavenworth, KS and that I will need to be there by mid-January of next year – there will be a slight issue to deal with because of the time it will take for me to “clear” or check-out of Ft Hood, and then move everything to Kansas; it’ll be a bit of a time crunch.

Only to complicate matters, I will also apply to have the Army consider me as an exchange student for this same course with Ireland (Irish Defense Forces). I should learn about the decision in November – I have been told that only one Officer a year is chosen for this, so my chances are extremely slim. Both courses are just under one year, but the school in Ireland would start a few months later than the one in Kansas.

I have been told that my assignment after the school will be in Europe, most likely in Germany.

I have been told that in the Army the only thing you can count on is change…

George