I have not been the most active member of Kos, so this may not be of much interest, but I just wanted to let everyone know that I wouldn't be around for awhile. In a couple of weeks I'm going to be leaving for Iraq, and I'm not sure how often I'll be able to post here while I'm over there. I have made my views about Iraq pretty plain in my diaries and comments; I oppose it very strongly. But that isn't what the diary is about exactly, although that plays into it. Mainly, I just want to let everyone know that I've appreciated reading dKos for the last several months. Anyway, make the jump for more and a blog address that I hope to post on semi-regularly.
I have never supported the war in Iraq. I felt sure that Bush was exaggerating the evidence at the begining, and now it's as clear as day that I was right. That aside though, I have decided that deploying to Iraq is something that I need to do, and so I haven't fought it much at all. I'm not saying that I feel compelled to go because fo my comittment to enlist. Far from it, I feel like with the invasion of Iraq I was cheated out of the opportunity to defend America in any real way. What I mean is that I hope that this deployment will teach me something about myself and about human nature as well. As a Korean linguist, I should be safe enough, so I've decided to look at this trip as a sort of spiritual pilgrimage. It is also my hope that I will be able to keep someone, somewhere, a little bit safer, even if what I'm keeping them safe from is the damage to their country that our invasion caused.
All that said, if any of you are interested in keeping track of me, I'll be trying to maintain a blog at my blog, American Hajji. Thank you all very much for teaching me so very much and I will return in not to long. You can look forward to a much more active soldier here upon my return. Unless you don't like me, in that case go ahead and relish my absense.