Ah, I see, subtle. If it was Mabry I was going to recommend some restaurants. 
Which part of Iraq are you going? Understandable if you can’t tell, but I’ve been most places in that country. (Lake Thar Thar is really pretty going east when the sun is rising.)
Baghdad. I won’t get more specific than that.
If they have an opening when you get out of the academy I would say the chances are pretty good you could get assigned there. Otherwise you might spend a year or so somewhere else waiting for an opening in SB.
Mr. Tortuga here, (spouse of Tortuga).
If you want to work in SB do some ride-alongs out of the Ventura CHP office. I believe that they cover SB. Testing for the CHP has become easier in the last few years as it has become more difficult to attract applicants to law enforcement as a career. Applicants who are ex-military receives extra points on their interviews. I believe that the written test has been eliminated which makes the process easier for applicants. This omission will just make life a little bit harder for some newly sworn in officers because the job of a CHP officer entails writing reports and the standard is high for this. In the CHP, moving up in rank entails testing and politics. There are no typical days and it is a dangerous career with more than 1% of all officers sworn in having paid the ultimate price for their service, (almost 19,000 people have worked at least one day as a CHP officer, around 210 have died in the line of duty). If you are interested please do several ride-alongs with several different officers and ask them lots of questions.
I started as a cop before I was even old enough to buy bullets. I’ve been employed by five different law enforcement agencies, worked with hundreds more, and taught LE subjects for ten years. But all that I write here is personal opinion and should be taken lightly (with a dash of salt).
Generally, it is a fairly easy job - but a difficult job to do well. I assume you’ve already thought through the job requirements and expect that you’ll be a good fit (good communications skills, logical thinker). It is difficult to be very accurate at guessing what your experience will be, because communities, departments, and people differ so much. In one department I worked for (a Sheriff’s department) I had to cover dozens of square miles alone; in another, about a dozen city blocks. The culture of the departments were very different, driven largely by what the lieutenants wanted…and overlooked.
Pay in the southeast US is abysmal; I think in some metro Atlanta counties starting officers get in the low 30’s.
For me, it was the fulfillment of a childhood ambition, and was the greatest thing ever…for about 3 years. Then the monotony of it just wore me out - the same kinds of calls, day in and day out. It bored me greatly, even if I was “busy.” Change departments/locales, rinse & repeat. But again, that’s just me; some of the people I worked with 20 years ago are still doing it. But many others have moved on to other careers.
And that brings me to a point that is purely my own observation and opinion, so take it as lightly as that warrants: the more ambitious your nature, the more quickly you may tire of the career. I thought I’d be doing it forever, but when I realized that career progression was very slow, and the job monotonous (to me), I moved on.
And I still miss it. But when I really start to think hard about what it was like, wrestling with drunks and writing car burglary reports (when I was a street officer), I remember why I left.
My advice: if it interests you, do it. Better that, than wishing you had some years later. It’s one of the few jobs were one person really can make a difference.
I’ve been a cop for 21 years now, in a small town in Washington state. I love my job and can’t imagine doing anything else.
As others have said, the job is very different depending on the department and community. I’ve heard people say that The Wire and NYPD Blue are very accurate representations of the job. Well, if I ever behaved like any of those officers I’d be fired in a heartbeat!
Many agencies are now requiring at least some college, if not a degree, to be hired. They may waive this for your military experience, though.
The job definitely does change you in many ways, but it doesn’t have to be as drastic as BrknButterfly’s father. I don’t take the job home with me and I don’t feel the need to be “on” 24/7. I can’t imagine taking children along while chasing bad guys.
Look for a large metropolitan department if you want lots of excitement and wild experience. Look to smaller agencies if you want a more peaceful life and a job that is more focused on helping people than chasing bad guys.
Good luck!