I have one about 20 minutes after my workouts and one in the morning. I tend to take them down in about two gulps (I've always ate and drank extremely fast). It doesnt really bother me too bad but can that affect protein absorption?
And I realize you should only have protein dranks if your not gettign enough protein from your diet. My meal patterns are crazy due to my schedule (convoys and details at odd hours and on short notice) so it's necessary.

It doesnt matter one bit. The swallowing process has zero to do with rate of digestion.

Look at it this way, if you chug 10 beers, do you get less drunk than if you drink them steadily?

That would be a no

If your schedule is 'all over the place', just try and fix your eating times as constant as possible. I work shifts that can be morning, afternoon, or overnight, but I eat at the same times regardless.

Do your best to do the same - your body will thank you for it.

Very good point. I get pretty drunk either way lol. Thanks.
Once again my schedule screwed me, I slept all day because I had radio and phone watch the other night all night, then got up, was too late for chow, downed a protein drank to get something i nthere, was wanting to work out then one of my guys comes to my room and tells me we gotta go to the motopool with full battle rattle to get ready for a mission, did that for a few hours with no chance to eat and then got done, wolfed down an MRE (which are half fat) and now I'm waiting to go back out in a few hours. My system must hate me.

Just do what you can, when you can. My old next door neighbour was in his 80's, but had trained all his life, including during WWII whilst in the RAF, when he and a group of likeminded personnel would go to the hangars and use un-primed rockets and boxes of ammo for resistance!

Keep safe, keep training/eating as best you can, come home in one piece, and resume sane training ideology at that time