If WW3 happens, does the time overseas count towards combat time? When you come back from war, does one retire or continue their career?

If WW3 happens, don't spend time worrying about your discharge papers.

WWIII. Russia, China, and Iran against the rest of the major players in the free world/NATO. Areas of combat will be designed. If your in then you get combat credit. Once it’s over depending on your status at the time of the start you will return to that status. Medical retirement if required, otherwise you can stay in or get out but all the rules for retirement will stay the same unless changed by congress. There will likely be a surge then a drawdown like in every other major conflict we have even involved in.

Combat is combat. If you're sitting in, let's say, France as a support guy...you're not going to be considered having "been in combat" any more than the POGs that spent their Iraq deployments sitting in a FOB.

Who would be our enemies in a world war? I doubt if their would be anything to come back to. It would be total destruction of an atomic war. Their was a movie made in the 50,s or 60,s that showed what the world would look like after an atomic war. Most people would die of radiation. Everything would be contaminated. Their would be few pockets of survival. Pray their is never another world war.

I don't see WWIII happening, Germany is too weak for Merkel to start it.
1) Of course time in a combat zone counts as being in combat. and 2) I guess they'd do what they did at the end of WWII, either go back to their old jobs because of force downsizing or personal preference, or stay in if they are able/want to.