I have a friend who has spent the last several months overseas in Kosovo while in the Army Medical Corps. Now he's due to come back home for 2 weeks before returning to head off to the Middle East. Mind you, these are both considered war zones.

However, for some inexplicable reason, the Army does not feel that it is responsible for paying for his ticket home while he is between war zones. Their official policy is that if someone is in an area like this for a minimum of 230 days, then they'll pay for a plane ticket home. He has been there for a mere 210 days, but will be going back for another several months when his two weeks are up.

His wife is currently working her ass off to find a ticket that will be cheaper than $1500 to bring him home from Germany.