Well, it certainly wasn’t the worst thing that can happen, actually, it’s not even bad. But it still kind of sucks when your only brother moves out, in a sense, to join the Army. Of the two siblings I do have, I’m closer to my brother than I am my sister.


Back in January of this year, when I first learned of my brothers intentions of joining the military, I was scared. I didn’t let anybody know of course maybe he would change his mind. But knowing him, I knew he was serious. I cried that night. My big brothers plan was originally to just up and leave without warning. He wanted to just disappear, but I told him he couldn’t. It hurt to think that he would even consider it, he at least changed his mind on that part.


So when he finally got to a recruiter and signed up, joined up, swore in, man oh man that was just it. My dad took it the worst. And who can blame him? My brother is his only son. It’s a little better to know that he’s not going to be seeing a lot of combat because of his job as a combat engineer, ironic I know, but it’s still a little scary.


The days were winding down and dwindling until he left for BCT (basic combat training). And as they were getting closer it didn’t really feel right, at all. I mean he was leaving home and going into the military, I should at least be a little worried, right? I guess not, because as I sit here and he’s getting to leave tomorrow morning just as my first class of the day starts, I don’t feel a thing.


I went from worried little sister, to the strongest one in our family. We just said goodbye to him at his hotel not two hours earlier and I feel like I always do. But I guess seeing everyone in my family that is older than me crying as we hug does that to you. I will not show my family the face of sadness from that first night, because I feel that if I do, it will only make the time until his graduation, all that much harder to manage.