As a chap who lists Chinook experience, Mike, you should know that whereas a regiment will do their 6 month det and then come home for quite a long time, Chinny operators routinely spend 6 months or more out of the country year in year out.
Maybe your 747 time has clouded your memory, but we're not talking 4 day stopovers in Miami with 15 nubile hosties, we're talking 2 months in a tent in some armpit of the world with tropical diseases, bad sanitation, landmines and no gin, accompanied by 15 hairy crewmen.