Shaenon: Sandy Caesar drew this dramatic sketch of Tip's oft-alluded-to military service. Write Sandy:

CAPTION: 1st Lt. Dennis "Tip" Wilkin earns the Bronze Star and promotion to Captain for his rescue of three wounded soldiers from his burning HMMWV. Wilkin is a liaison from PSYOPS Command, attached to Divisional HQ Company, 10th Mountain Division.

I figured that a psychologist would probably be part of PSYOPS in Afghanistan, and I figured that he'd be in the Army about two years before his involvement with Skin Horse began (which was when 10th Mountain was in Afghanistan, unless I seriously screwed up my research). It would also give me an excuse to put him in mess dress, since Army BDUs/ACUs are unisex and he wouldn't be out patrolling in a skirt and heels - he said early on in the comic that he wasn't a field agent - although he'd still have to pull some strings to be allowed in Mess Uniform while doing paperwork.

Which means that for a desk jockey not normally subject to ambushes, he's pretty badass.

Sandy later corrected that Tip is in Army Service uniform here, not mess dress. Thanks, Sandy!

Channing: It's a good thing you corrected that, Sandy, because I totally noticed and was bothered by that. I was just sitting there thinking, Geez, what is Sandy talking about because this is so totally an Army Service uniform.

(Insert cricket noises here)

Okay, I'm a liar. I don't know jack from squat. Maybe I should have had more Life Experiences in my twenties that didn't consist of moving pieces of paper from one floor of a building to another floor of a building.