WE FAILED ALL OUR MARKETING AND PR CLASSES

If there's one thing Country Insurance and Financial Services has learned after a Carol Stream employee's second extended military leave in two years, it's this: Never say you fired him.

"We're very, very sorry this has caused confusion," said Country Insurance spokeswoman Cathy Oloffson. "Our intent has never been to hurt anyone on active duty."

Wednesday, the Bloomington, Ill.-based insurance company dropped a longstanding policy of firing servicemen on tour for longer than nine months.

Even though the firm said those fired while serving military duty have been rehired when they return, the company nonetheless retracted its policy after news reports that an employee had been fired twice while on active duty.

Anthony Marcukaitis, 56, of Carol Stream has been serving in Iraq with the Army Reserves 814th Military Police Company since February. Before the 2001 terrorist attacks, the insurance adjuster had never been away from work at Country's Schaumburg office for an extended period.