by Casey D.

Created on: September 05, 2009

One of the most important and defining moments in my life was when my older brother went off to the Air Force. Granted it was only a year ago but it has changed my view in life in so many ways, it has also changed how I view my brother.

Lets get started from the beginning. Me and my brother are very close and always have been, being five years apart I knew that one day my brother would be off living on his own while I would still be living at home with mama and daddy. I knew that, I just didn't think it would come so soon.

He joined the Air Force while still in high school. After graduation he was sworn in officially, his recruiter told him he would be leaving on June 15th for Jacksonville, Fl and would be flown from there to San Antonio, TX for basic training. June 15! Three days after my thirteenth birthday. My one and only sibling would be leaving just after I turned thirteen. This was hard for me to except but I did enjoy a special birthday with just me and him at Wild Adventures.

On June 15th, my brother left while I was still sleeping. I didn't see him or hardly talk to him for about three months. Then in August we took a trip, just like all the other people with kids, relatives or friends that had joined the Air Force, we took a trip to see them graduate from basic training, becoming Air Men.

We spent a week with him in Texas, he graduated and became an Air Man, I was very proud of my brother. Then he went off to Tech School in another part of Texas, he was going to be an age mechanic in the Air Force.

Right after he graduated from Tech School about three or four months after, he went on leave for two weeks to come home before going to his first official base in the Air Force, which was on an island in Japan.

Having my brother be in the Air Force has been an important part of my life not only because I am proud of my brother but because I have learned so much about the military and how hard they work to serve our country with courage. The sad part, these days not many people appreciate that. Him being in the Air Force has made me consider joining when I graduate high school.

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