To summarize the last six or eight posts, there is a lot of confusion about which LTC Bateman we are talking about. I think it is the LinkedIn profile BobR posted, based on comments he made in the article. If so he has deployed and earned his combat patch. MNSTC-I and IJC are both downrange and he was gone over a year both times.
However, I'm skeptical of anyone that writes "And given the era, I also served for years myself in places decidedly less comfortable; combat zones like Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a few other nasty places. Thankfully I have seen much of the rest of the planet under more pleasing circumstances" when they worked as a planner and strategist at corps level headquarters. I have not been one but our Plans guys and 59s at USD-N spent most of their time doing slides and assessments. Based on his photo below, assuming it is him, he's taking the obligatory Fobbit "Look Ma! I'm on a helicopter flying to ANOTHER FOB!" picture in a bird (no shame, I have one too), has no NOD's plate on his helment, and has a fairly clean collar on his IBA.
That's probably just where he got assigned. There isn't much to do outside the wire for LTCs if they aren't a battalion commander, brigade DCO/XO/S-3, or *TT commander. Especially if you aren't combat arms and have been doing stuff like strategist. And maybe he was doing a lot of liaison work with the ISF/ANSF and was outside the wire everyday. I can't say for sure. But I sort of doubt it.
Having been outside the wire a fair amount my first deployment it bugs me a bit when people beat the "combat deployment" drum too hard when they are basically a Fobbit. Like one of my NCOs said of being stationed at Camp Speicher with a division HQ "This whole FOB is Freedom Rest (small semi-resort for Soldiers to take a four-day pass from more austere conditions)."
Alright, thus ends the speculation...
