I asked where she was headed.

“Home, on a break, from Afghanistan.”

After thanking her for the service she was providing for our future, I asked what she did.

“I’m a Vet. … A Veterinarian.”

My work exposes me to a lot of high-tech defense stuff including UAVs, tanks, war-fighter personal gear and I guess I paused trying to figure out why the Army would still need veterinarians. … Pets in combat?

I guess she’d seen my confusion before.

She smiled and went on, “I take care of the horses. We use them in the mountains because the trails are too narrow for motorized vehicles. The horses can move real fast when you need it. I keep them healthy.”