The last two nights, I have had vivid dreams where I've been called back up against my will to active duty in the Army.

In the first, I was ordered to report to duty aboard a huge naval aircraft carrier. I shared a barracks room with four other soldiers (on a Navy ship, I know). We were to have a formal dress and room inspection. I cleaned the room and wore my dress uniform with great attention to detail. My roomates were sloppy and did not score well.

As a reward for being a good soldier, I was sent to Iraq.

The following night, I dreamt I was assigned to a base radio station in the heart of Iraq. Since we lived at the station, we had to be aware of the constant threat of invasion, since taking over the airwaves would be a powerful terrorist statement. In my dream, I was asleep in the dark, early morning hours, when I heard someone moving around outside my bedroom door.

I woke my fellow soldiers up and we carefully searched the entire station and quarters, under every bed, inside every cabinet and closet, behind every curtain. We found nothing.

Then we had to try to get back asleep.