Saw you as a newcomer yesterday and just wanted to welcome you aboard. I'm new to this forum also but not new to EMS.
I just took my NREMT CBT yesterday. When I was an EMT-I back in 1991, we didn't have to go through the NR, it was at the state level.
I let my certificate lapse back in 1995 for several reasons. I worked for a volunteer FD and it was like working in Mayberry with Barney and Ottis. Saw two volunteer FF's get in a fist fight once on who was going to drive the truck on a call and at that time I thought, what a joke. What caused me to finally pack it in back then was a 2 y/o drowning.
After 12 years I decided I wanted my certification back.
My plan is to enter MICT class in August 2008 and get my MICT certification. My plan is to keep my current job working as a Manager for the local utility here and volunteer as a MICT for our local service and become a reserve for the city I live near to.
Enough of my life story......good luck and seeing that you are deployed may god bless you and all of our service personnel protecting our country.