On Dec. 21, Jupiter and Saturn appeared to come together in a spectacular “great conjunction” that some called the “Christmas Star.” I’ve always been impressed with the way astronomers figure out all the celestial events, and the recent great conjunction reminded me of a couple of soldiers with whom I once served.

The military is not like the movies. Sure, there are some exciting moments, but for long stretches in between, there’s a lot of boredom, especially on deployment. One way the guys entertain themselves is by teasing or making fun of other soldiers. There are rules to this sometimes-vicious game. A soldier cannot be teased about his wife or children. Outside of that, everything is fair game.