Ten things I will miss when I leave Iraq

With only a few days left to go before my unit leaves Iraq, it’s time to list the 10 things I will miss about being here.

1. Friends - I’ve made friends in the unit, and I’ve also become friends with some of our Iraqi translators and groundskeeping crew. I will truly miss some of these people and will worry about them - their futures are tied to the ongoing process of trying to build an Iraq where Iraqis have more choices in life.
2. Low maintenance lifestyle - Although I’m often frustrated beyond belief by the reality of military life; a reality where most of your decisions are made by someone else, I will miss having other people do all the cooking and cleaning to some extent.
3. Multi-million dollar gym - I’ll miss all the free exercise equipment.
4. Being a part of something bigger than I am - Iraq is messy, and it’s disheartening some of the time, but what’s happening here is much bigger than I am. I’ll miss participating in world-changing events on some level.
5. Short commute - At home, I drive 70 miles a day each way to work. The scenery is much nicer than what I’ve had here in Iraq, but I lose two hours a day. I’ll miss the one-mile daily commute.
6. American public support - I’ve had a lot of thoughtful and caring supporters during my time in Iraq. I appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you for your kind words and thoughtful comments. They meant a lot.
7. Carrying a weapon openly - If it was socially acceptable, I would openly carry my pistol in civilian life back home. I think part of the responsibility of being a citizen includes basic self-defense. An armed society is a polite society. I wish we had more of a gun culture in the U.S.
8. Camraderie - One of the things I love (and hate) most about the military is being thrown together with people from walks of life I wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to. Military service has expanded my understanding and tolerance of people from backgrounds that I previously had little to no understanding of.

Well, that’s it. I guess eight things is going to have to do it. I’m sure that as time passes, my reflections on my service in Iraq will change, and I’ll see what I did, and what we did together in a different light. Right now, all I can think about is getting back to my wife and my life as it was before I left.

It won’t be exactly the same - human beings cannot help but change in a year. I’m as ready as I can be.