Next 12 Months

If you read my profile you might see that I am a very busy individual. That fact will only be exacerbated in the coming year. My wife is pregnant (allegedly I'm the father), and my unit is scheduled to be activated for deployment in approximately 16 months. But if you know anything about the Army's deployment policies you will understand that activation for deployment is proceeded by months of high intensity, civilian life disrupting, training. For example this summer (though I cannot publish sensitive details) I will be on orders for around 6 weeks and it only escalates as the date approaches. If you are wondering if I might not get deployed ask in the comments and I can explain why I am 90% sure we will be.

Following this semester at ACU, my wife and I will move up to Oregon for several reasons:
1. Its going to be an Oregon baby. We are planning to go to school and generally live in Oregon so starting the family there feels right.
2. Caitlin's parents are, thank God, in a position to help us financially by letting us live in their underused downstairs, pooling other costs of living, and I hope buying some of those diapers (which must be sprinkled with gold dust or something).
3. I want to have Caitlin settled where she will have help with the baby and can finish her degree while I am deployed.
4. And most importantly hot Texas weather makes an already cranky Caitlin even crankier.

I will be taking classes online with Norwich University's BS in Strategic Studies and Defense Analysis (SSDA). A very cool program only available to Special Operations personnel. LINK I still intend to get a BA in History or Political Science from University of Oregon or comparable university when I return. The following semesters I might continue at Norwich if pre-deployment training allows. I will try to find a job doing anything (though I as always will seek responsibility and skills), thankfully Caitlin's church home is very tight knit and I expect to get some help from them in that endeavor.

From there, deploy, don't  die, finish History/SSDA, join the 19th group SF?, JD? active duty. etc etc.

I definitely will miss ACU and the many friends that I love. But on the up side I will be required to be at my unit for a weekend nearly every month so I will visit and cash in some of that love for couch space.