Applejack's tour of duty didn't work out like she expected; maybe if she'd been able to keep her dang mouth shut... oh, well. She hadn't decided if she really wanted to make a career out of the military, but her superiors made it pretty doggone clear they didn't care for the idea, so that was that. But everytime Harmony closes a door, it opens a window. And maybe she's been sent exactly where she's always needed to be.
However cat-infested it was at the moment.