Just doing my Duty

Hey, I don't make the rules. Giving my older brother a hard time is exactly what I am supposed to be doing. Well, maybe if I was 14. Thankfully, Jess knows my personality, and loves me despite it. Of course, he hasn't come right out and stated that little fact, but how could he not adore me?

My brother is in the Army, you may know. As a side gig, he's also a trained & certified paramedic. He has this exciting training coming up (or going on now, I can't remember) that involves him being trained to work along side S.W.A.T. As in, bad a** cops. The thing is, this training... is going on while there is live fire. As in, real ammunition. I think that's what it means. I guess they could be shooting blanks. Which would then make my text message to him really silly.


The banking industry is so boring; we can't we ever get to do anything fun like this?
Why hasn't he texted back, yet?

Ganas

I wanted to take some time today to talk a little about my older brother, whom I introduced you to here. 

I don't think I ever told that you some people think he's just a regular ol' Joe... Looks normal enough, doesn't he?

Jess likes to play the guitar. As a teen, he was crazy about comic books and Dungeons & Dragons.

He had some wonderful friends: Chris, Kerry, Sean, - I could go on. They were thick as thieves for years.

He was into the Drill Team and ROTC.

He was a pain in my side; macho-man always telling his little sister what to do.

Now, he has an almost 16-year old daughter, Abby, that is the LOVE of his life.

He's got a wonderful family: his girlfriend Catina and her two kids.

He lives in North Carolina. He's a Paramedic.

We never see enough of him, but that's because of his job.

Besides being a paramedic, Jess has been in the Army for 18 years (this summer marks his anniversary). He enlisted in June 1993 - the same month and year my dad retired from the same branch of service.

Jesse has been trained by the best, to be the best. He has ganas. 

As a medic in the Army - he's probably seen it all.

(No dummies were harmed during the making of this blog post.)

It's fake.

A training exercise.

That's probably ketchup.

What's NOT FAKE is Jesse's will to succeed. To be the best. To help protect our country.

You may think this post is a little off base. I mean... its not Veteran's Day, or Memorial Day,

or the 4th of July.

Nope... not any of those days. That's usually when we do most of our conscience remembering, right?

Eh, it happens.

Today is Day 1 of 365 that Jesse is gone.

Back to Iraq for his fourth tour.

FOURTH.

(he's had 5 total tours, none of them rock 'n roll ones, though.)

This one, without a doubt, is the hardest. Jess is in a great place in his life. A great career. A loving (AND STRONG) woman as his partner. He just earned custody of his daughter (his ex-wife gave him a true gift). He has two other great kids in the house (L & K). He has a silly puppy named Mac.  

He has so much to live for and to be happy about.

But for the next year, he is going to do what he does best. He's going to stay alert, watch over his 'boys' and help to save lives. If you know me in real life, you may have heard me joke about him and his job.

"He administers band-aids for a living."

Of course I have to say things like that. Someone needs to put him in his place.

But the truth is Sgt. Aniol is the epitome of an American soldier.

For the next year, he will put all else before him. Again.

You know, I'm proud of all that I have accomplished in my 34 years.

My family, my education, my career. 

But I've never, ever sacrificed as Jesse has. I've never been in 140* degree heat eating rations on a "cool" Iraqi evening. I've never held a fallen comrade. I've never heard constant gun fire. Or seen the aftermath of roadside bombers.

Nope. I am safe and sound. At home.

Because of soldiers like Jesse.

For the next 365 days - I will proudly display the following on my blog:

Just waiting for my knuckle-head of a big brother to come home.

And he will.

Ganas, remember?

Brrrrr!!

I swear - it has to be 20 degrees outside. It's gray and overcast. And cold!!
Okay, it's probably not 20 degrees out; it sure feels like it, though.
And if it feels like it's that cold outside, you can imagine what it feels like inside la casa. Right, 21 degrees.
Brrrr.

I want me 100's back!! And my Mr. Sunshine.

Speaking of misters...

Have you met my brother? His name is Jesse. Today he reenlisted in the U.S. Army for another two years. He joined in 1993 straight out of high school; this new reenlistment will take him to retirement!

Jess has completed three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan (and has been stationed in Saudi Arabia and has done "day trips" to the likes of Colombia). He is a Medic, and this past year was certified nationally and in the state of North Carolina as a Paramedic.

I'd be proud of him - except for the fact that he still insists that I was found under a rock.
So, for his accomplishments, I am whelmed. Not over nor under. Just whelmed.

Do you think I should put the heat on?! My toesies are cold.