Just because you're enrolled in the military doesn't mean that you're supposed to be running around the desert with an M16 strapped to your back. My friend has been in the Navy for a while and there hasn't ever been any mention of sending him overseas.
He was out in the desert with a M16 strapped to his back. From there he stepped up to programming (obviously, bootcamp is required for everyone), and eventually went home. Hm.