Be All That You Can Be
So my brother sat me down this morning to have a little talk. It seems that he is considering going into the military. Well more than that, he told me that he is 95% certain he will. Army, to be specific. The thought of them paying for his college education, while at the same time traveling and being trained at his field of choice are the things that seem to be swaying him towards this decision. Though I’m sure the fact that our father is an 18 year Vet. of the Army weighed in on things as well.
I’m proud of him. Really proud. We both know that he doesn’t have to do this. It isn’t as if he has run out of options and is opting for military life out of desperation. I’m not saying everyone who goes into the military is desperate, but we all know that some people go in just because they have nothing else left for them. My brother isn’t in that situation at all. When you hear the phrase “they have the smarts in the family”, that is my brother. He’s never missed the honor roll in school, straight-A’s all the way through. His transcript is going to read like a holy grail of the education system.
He could have his pick of colleges. Money might of been tight for some, but we probably could have swung it. He could have easily went to the University of Alaska.
But this is his decision and I’ll back whatever he does. He fully understands that he’ll be going to war. That is just a certain reality of todays Army. Even though his chosen path won’t lead him into the front-lines, there is always a danger. It doesn’t matter if you are building roads or cleaning water, you are still in a war zone. Things happen, and he’s obviously aware of that.
He’s talked off and on about the military his whole life, but it was always in some far-flung future where he still had years to decide what he wanted to do with his life. Now that he’s 18 and the end of high school is just around the corner, I think he now realizes that the time for planning has caught up with the time for decision making. Whatever that decision is for him, I’ll be there to back him 100%. And if it does happen to send him over seas, well he will just have to deal with the fact he’ll be receiving plane loads of care packages from me at every mail call.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
I am proud of him as well Josh and wished this was something my brother would of considered for himself as well. I want to send him care packages too!
Your little brother is sure growing up but from what I have seen…he has made some good choices in life so far. Tell him I am proud of him as well hon =)
February 15th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
You know I’ll tell him! He’ll be really happy to know that you are proud of him too, and if he thinks he can expect some cookies he’ll probably go enlist early lol