Hehe... FWIW they only credit me for the time I've been out of med school, so I get 3 yrs. time in service, 4 in May, so knock off 6-800 a month. The problem (and a big reason the military has a hard time retaining surgeons) is that when I'm out of residency I'll be making about half of what my civilian counterparts make. But really, I've been very happy with my decision. I thoroughly enjoy doing what I do in the Army, and there are many pluses that outweigh the minuses. Now if I'm in Iraq when my first child is born we can revisit that, but right now I'm happy with the choice.

And you'll be revelling in the housing allowances right up until you actually start looking for housing--it's crazy out here.

Either way, drop me a line when you're out here and we can ride.