"Ah, what also floats in water?" "A duck!"

So when I was in Iraq I would often have conversations that went like this;
"So you came to Iraq and you've never been in the military?"
"Nope", I would say.
"Well, what did you go to college for to get this job and how much do you make?"
"I went to school and got my BS in Radiological Science, I was a Nuclear Medicine Technologist for 6 years and I make like $11,000 a month here. What did you go to school for and how much you make being enlisted?" was my normal reply. Might as well cut to the chase. There is a fraction of service people who are really anti civilian contractor, so this dialogue is usually not in an innocent tone.
"Uh, I didn't graduate from high school and I don't know, (expletive deleted) you make more in a month than I do in 3 months!! I wish I had your job!! (expletive deleted) What makes you soo special?"
"Cream rises to the top", I would say and follow it with "We all make choices to end up where we are at." Like I wasn't freaking there in Iraq with them? Living in the same tent and eating the same crap food. Stupid jealous little Fobbits.

Point is, today I was awarded an increase in responsibility, in pay and elevated job title. I got a promotion for the remainder of my contract. And this in less than 3 months of working there!

A duck, a witch, wood and maybe even a very small rock may float as well, but I know that cream rises to the top.