Yes, life was getting way too easy in San Diego! Being in intelligence is a desk job here at home, so according to Scott, this (going to Iraq) makes the time go faster. They had "forgotten" that a unit was going in February and no one had been assigned to be embedded from intelligence, so that's why he volunteered.
I don't think he will volunteer again, though, since there is now a girlfriend in San Diego. Of course, she's a Marine, too, but thankfully getting out in a year and staying there to go to college. Scott is planning on buying a house when he gets back, so I guess that's where he'll be settling and finishing school in 2012.