Truly salivating over the prospect of even a tiny bit more Abbot backstory as Season 2 winds down because the fic writer in me NEEDS clarification on his timeline. Like I have seen maybe one? mention of Kosovo in fic but given his age (~50 in 2025) that's the first option for field experience if he signs up for service straight out of high school (which is mentioned a lot in fandom). Given he was definitely in 'the Middle East' according to 2x07 - and they're not just going to throw in a mention of Dasht-e-Barchi for shits and giggles - that is in service terms a big range for losing his leg, from 26 years old in 2001 in Afghanistan to at least 32 years old for the Iraq Surge in 2007, and at both of those ages he'd be considered decrepit by his grunts and peers. The first withdrawal from Iraq was in 2011 when he would have been 36; combat operations ended in Afghanistan in 2014 when he would have been 39. When was med school? When was college? Why combat medicine - did he have the training already or was he assessed & assigned there before becoming a doctor in civilian life? There is BIG difference between being a kid signing up for the benefits in the 90s vs. volunteering after 9-11 when he would presumably already be somewhat established in his life & career?
Personally my headcanon is enlistment & Kosovo as a teenager - got interested in medicine - finished his initial contract, went to med school - [meeting Robby & his marriage somewhere in here] - remained a Reservist - got called up for Mosul in 2004 or 2006. But hey @ the Pitt writers, I would really pretty please like clarification 👀
