My brother's best friend just got home...

[Pianomahnn]

. . .from basic with the United States Marines in San Diego.

I've never seen a person more proud of his accomplishments. It's hard to explain, but he (nicknamed Whitey) was just. . .proud. I could see it in his eyes, the way he carried himself through the airport. He left as a mopey, lost, and depressed kid and appears to have come back a strongminded young man.

My brother was ecstatic to see him. It's going to be rough for him to say goodbye in January, I'm certain.

Props to you, Whitey.

[Political commentary]
I only wish he was really going to be defending our freedoms...fucking Bush.
[/political commentary]

[Billyman]

Kill Whitey Kudos to Whitey.

I’ve a buddy that lives in Apex NC that went into boot camp several months ago. He got injured (ankle or leg) and was sent home. It wasn’t anything serious by any means and is now trying to get back in. He’s had several doctors including a military doctor clear him and say he’s fine. Yet they still will not let him back in.

He has said: “I would eat shit and give up a nut to get back in”. I told him I love his enthusiasm but have no idea who to contact for string pulling.

Tis a shame really, a country running out of Marines and people wanting to get out left and right and here you have a man willing to do anything to get in and cannot. I can’t imagine him being that much of a liability to the US Armed Forces.

[Cruise Director]

From what I've seen and know, basic training is more than just getting soldiers in to physical shape. They take an individual, no matter what kind of mental / physical shape they are in and break them down to nothing. Then they bring them back up in a "team" mindset. They don't want individuals. They want people to function as parts of a machine.

Whitey should be proud. He is serving as one of the most elite soldiers in the World. And now he will always be a part of something big. There is no such thing as an "ex" marine.

[sauron]

He is serving as one of the most elite soldiers in the World.
The Mossad will of course disagree with you on this one...

Congratulations to brother's best friend.


- d.

[SimpleSimon]

Billyman, tell him to contact his local congresscritter and/or senator.

[MAC]

I have a very good friend who joined the marines 3 years ago.
He loved it. He was good at it. He made rank very fast.
etc, etc, etc
Then he met a girl and got married.
Now's he sitting in his mom's house, making the mistakes his dad made, while his young wife sits patiently waiting for the day she can go home to Ohio where her family lives.

[Billyman]

Billyman, tell him to contact his local congresscritter and/or senator.

I did Simon, and even hooked him up with some email addresses and encouraged him to type out one damn good letter and send it over and over and over……..

[PB]

I have seen this same pride in my little brother... it's amazing...

My brother, his wife, and their 9 month old daughter got orders this week to Azores Island for 2 years. Thank God they are being sent to where there is no conflict taking place... but still.. two years...

They are currently waiting on a ruling to see if they will let him out of the air force due to his job becoming privatized rather than run by the Air Force... if that happens he won't go.. but other wise.... They will ship out to the middle of the ocean pretty soon.

The selfish part of me just wants him to stay... but the rest of me is very proud of him and his accomplishments and the amount of pride that radiates from him.