five and fly

five and fly
 n.— «As West Point’s academic reputation has improved, more and more graduates are serving their mandatory five years, then leaving the army: five-and-fly, as it’s known. In essence, the government is spending incredible sums of money to train intelligent and capable soldiers through this four-year university program, but increasingly the return is only five years of service.» —“After Four Years at West Point, David Lipsky Still Wants More” by David Weich Powells Aug. 6, 2003. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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