Ryan Conklin Update From Iraq

In a guard tower in Baghdad, Iraq, Ryan A. Conklin made a video message for his many fans to let them know how he is doing. He apologized for not creating one sooner as he would liked to have done, but he was understandably busy with his duties as a U.S. Army infantryman and this was his earliest opportunity. His main message was straightforward: "I'm doing good. You know, I make the best out of the situation that's given. I still smile at little things everyday that keep me going."

He went on to say how appreciative he was of the support he has been receiving from people back home, like from his fans, his friends, and his family. He said he receives letters from people representing almost every state. He also said he realizes that he is the subject of many prayers.

On the conditions he is experiencing, he reported that fortunately Iraq is more calm than it was when he was there before. He said he was quite happy about that.

To his followers, he expressed his gratitude: "Thank you all. Thank you for your concerns, for your support. It doesn't go unnoticed. I'm very appreciative of that."

The rest of the video, which was the bulk of it, was addressed specifically to his roommates from The Real World Brooklyn. He told them how much he missed them and how much he wished he could be with them. Ryan waxed nostalgic as he looked back over the one year that had passed since the roommates first met each other. However, he looked forward to when they could all get together again, "when I'm wearing civilian clothes, [and] maybe got some longer hair."

What followed were scenes from the show, interspersed with clips of Ryan on patrol in Iraq and him reading the notebook in which the roommates had all written words of encouragement for him. His voiceover spoke of his memories of how they all fought and cried and laughed.

Ryan made sure to give a shout out to all seven of his cast mates:

"Sarah [Rice] and Devyn [Simone], vengeance is yours. Because where I live, it's infested with rats. Not the white ones either."

"Scott [Herman], you're a wise man for orchestrating this book. It cheers me up when times are dismal."

"I'm so glad, JD [Ordonez], that you never ripped this out of my hands and threw it in the Hudson like you did our phone."

"Katelynn [Cusanelli], what's this I hear about you being engaged? Congratulations. Save some cake for me, or better yet, save me a beer."

He also had a message for Chet Cannon, but his most heartfelt message was for Baya Voce: "Baya, my love, what can I say to you that you don't already know? You've been with me for every step of this journey."

Finally, to all of them, his valediction: "I can't say that I love what I'm doing in this hot and sweaty country, but I make the best of it. Each day is one day closer coming home to you. I miss you all so very much. I don't believe in good-byes, but see-ya-laters. And that, to Brooklyn, until we meet again."