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Colonel.
    “Is that my only option?”
    “Nope, you can return to your old SF or Ranger units, but you’re a Major and odds are they are going to put you in a staff position too.”
    “Is that it Sir?”
    “Yes Major that sums it up.  There ready to release you today, you can then take the next four days off.  Then come back into work on Monday.”
    “Yes Sir.”
    “It’s good to see you Major I’m glad to see your alive, see you on Monday.”  The Colonel stayed a bit longer and they engaged in small talk, he finally excused himself and said he had meetings to attend to that afternoon.
     

Chapter Seven
     
    John was let go that afternoon from the hospital and was picked up by Boomer one of the team NCO’s.  They were good friends and had spent a lot of time partying together and been on the team together for the last two years.  Boomer and the rest of the team had been taking care of his house while he was in the hospital; they even stocked the refrigerator with beer and food for his return.
                  Boomer dropped him off, he had a date and he was running late.  John told him good luck and wished him the best.  He would see him back at the team room on Monday.  John unlocked the door and walked into the house, it was so empty, so quiet.  This is the first time that it had struck him that his life was devoid of another person to share his life with, he was thirty-two and hadn’t really dated anyone serious since College; he had been concentrating on his career so much.  Besides, they were always gone and there was no way he could ever tell a significant other what he really did and where he was going.  Well he could tell them he was on SFOD-D he just couldn’t discuss missions with them or tell them where he was going
                  Now that his career path was all but blocked he wasn’t going to be allowed to return to operational duties and regardless of where he went he was going to have to become a staff weenie.  He had some thinking to do; inside he knew this day was coming if he wanted to stay in the Army.  He just didn’t realize he was coming so quickly. 
                  Did he really want to go through all of the advance training that would be required for field grade officers, he didn’t know.  He wanted to stay with the team, but the Army was all about move up or move out.  He didn’t want to be some Colonel’s or General’s dog robber he wasn’t built that way.  Over the next four days he thought about what the Colonel said and returned to work on Monday.
                  When he returned to work there were all sorts of welcome backs, great job, glad you made it, all John heard was blah, blah, blah and then more blah, blah, blah.  He checked in at the team room everyone one was there.  He sat down with them for an hour or so and they explained what happened after he was hit.  The also went on to explain what was in the boxes, two rather large nasty dirty bombs that could have easily taken down New York City or Los Angeles.
                  After getting caught up and hearing the rest of the details about the mission he was told to report to the Colonel. He took his time getting over to the Colonels office, there was no direction that stated it was urgent, so he got some coffee, said hi to a few more friends and finally arrived at the Colonels office. 
                  As informal as they were around the detachment area he was never really sure how he was supposed to report to a Senior Officer still even though he had been there two years.  His Officer and Ranger Training screamed at him to follow military protocols and this is generally what he fell back on.  He rapped on the door until he heard “Enter”, he pushed the door open took several strides and came to attention at the front of the Colonels desk and saluted, “Sir, Major Clayton Reports as ordered.”
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