I haven't been over there, but my dad has for the last year. I'm 18, and I have a lot of younger siblings. I'll be graduating in the next few months. One of my teachers was just activated for the second time. He'll be gone for 18 months.
My dad had his twenty years for retirement done when rumors of activation started milling around. He was never called to a combat area before, but stayed in anyway because he felt like somebody had to be in the Army, and it might as well be someone who knew what they're doing. He was asked (not ordered) if he would transfer to head a new team of engineers. He knew and understood that he didn't have to, that he could die and leave behind ten children and a good life, and at the very least miss my senior year. He accepted, leaving his battalion command (the whole battalion wasn't activated, and they wanted him over there; Dad's one of the few remaining professional engineers left in the Army), his family, and his life here in Utah.
Has it been hard? Not really. Why do I say that? Well, I figure you can either whine and moan about your predicament or you can get on with life and do the best you can. I come from a patriotic family. Anyone ever read "Once an Eagle?" That's us. We've been to other countries, and I don't want my kids to grow up in a place like Russia. (Ask me about the guy who was beat up by the Russian cops for selling phone cards- on the Russian news- sometime.)
Do people die? Yes, they do. Do most people die? No. This war does not even begin to compare with any war in history in regards to casualty rates, communication with home, creature comforts...
The question of whether to go over, in the military or otherwise, should be a personal one. My point is that some things are worth fighting for. I think our cause and the plight of the Iraqi people is a just one. The question should be answered after deliberation and, in my opinion, prayer. Just don't rule out going off the bat.
Good luck with your decision. I'm not telling you that you have to go, just my point of view.
Eddie