I'm military as well, and I know kinda where you're coming from. Like already mentioned, 1 prot pally and 4 elemental shammies are a great combo. Not sure about the future of 1 prot and 4 ret pallies with the changes brought about with cataclysm adding in holy power. Plenty of resources on this site (Group Composition Forum) and the WoW forums to give you some insight into what's coming up with all the class changes.

I'm slowly working my way back to the game (building my rig as money allows) and have been away for well over a year because of training and relocations. Best of luck, and if you have an idea of a nice synergy group, post it up and ask for feedback/thoughts/improvements. This is a very friendly and helpful community and many of us enjoy helping out and reading about others' successes!