Maybe I'll be back sooner than planned

...but I'm not holding my breath. My mobilization orders say my tour of duty is "not to exceed 545 days"
(hat tip to Greyhawk)

Army May Shorten Tours in Iraq and Afghanistan
Anticipating progress toward curbing insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army may cut in half the yearlong tours of duty in the two nations that have strained an already stretched service, a senior Army general said Thursday.
At the time of the Jan. 30 election in Iraq, there were approximately 150,000 U.S. troops there. That number is expected to drop within months to 138,000. The U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan is expected to drop from 19,000 to just below 17,000 over the same period.
Army officials hope that shorter combat tours will improve recruiting and retention. The service has missed recent recruiting targets, particularly for the National Guard and Army Reserve.
Typically, the Marine combat tour is seven months, the Air Force tour is three months, and the Navy's is six months.