Outrun the Cushite

I stumbled through the first few Japanese lessons on Duolingo with underwhelming success. I knew there were a lot of characters in its ancient alphabet but didn't quite appreciate just how many. This was a far cry from the Hangul crash course I got in Busan, Korea 11 years ago. With a few key phrases memorized, by the time the trip was over, I was at least able to apologize and order a black coffee in the native tongue, paired of course with the requisite pointing and hand waving to indicate I would be consuming the beverage either on or off the premises.    ***      About two months ago I was afforded the opportunity to take part in an oversees Army mission. I was told it would be about three weeks, that it would be in Japan, and that I would receive more details later. The rest was up to the powers that be to determine. I think one of the reasons people leave the military is being part of an organization that doesn't always consider how plans made at the top of the hierarchy