Ten things I will miss when I leave Iraq
Thursday, 28 September 2006 | 247 readers so far
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Multi-million dollar gym - I’ll miss all the free exercise equipment.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.












1 September 28th, 2006 at 9:33 pm
Fiona says:
I’m glad you’re going home, nevertheless. You’ve been away for so long.
2 September 29th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
SK says:
Will you get to see the leaves changing in GA?
3 October 2nd, 2006 at 6:40 am
iz says:
i just want to say that your post really touched my heart. i have recently met a man in the marines and i am falling in love with him. in an attepmt to familiarize myself with the military lifestyle, i came across your article and truly it gave me some insight which i can not put into words. thank you. i patiently wait for him to come home from iraq, hoping that i may be understanding and loving in a way that he needs. any suggestions, please feel free …
4 October 10th, 2006 at 8:50 pm
Walter E. Wallis says:
And never forget “but it’s First Class Train for Atkinson when the trooper’s on the tide.”
I got most of the warriors in my family together last month - covered from WWII to just back from Iraq - and a finer bunch you never saw.
Welcome to the clan of defenders.