quantico x2

i love our country. i have a respect and admiration for the military that runs deep. transporting troops is a high honor for me.
recently i got to take a group of marines to quantico for training and i got to go back 2 weeks later to pick them up. this facility is eerie cool. the times i have been there, i have not seen anyone training. i heard them, never saw them. driving along these winding roads is quiet. then, you hear bursts of small arms fire. like i said, never saw them but they were there.
both trips were night drives. got to know the 2 leaders and these guys were always respectful. i would have expected no less from a marine. but these guys were also down to earth guys with families back home just like me. they were both married and had regular jobs. when we were coming home, i found out they were going back to their families for a while and then on to california before being deployed to iraq. for some this will be their second deployment. for some it is their third. they do what i don't have the guts to do. they are human just like me but that is about all. the work they do and the commitment with which they serve is nothing short of amazing. after dropping them off and the trip was over i prayed for them to return safely. the 2 leaders, Matt and Brandon are very capable leaders. they are the kind of guys a mother would trust their son or daughter to serve under knowing they will do all they can to bring them home safely. all this sounds good and patriotic and gives a feel good warmth. then, i remember my 10 year old wants to be a marine and serve his country. this now really hits home and it scares the hell out of me. sometimes i just sit and stare at my children. i want to soak it in as long as i can. there are times our children seem like the anti-christ and times you can see the halo and wings on their backs. to think of my son or any of my children serving our country, well, my chest swells real big. when i think of the reality that one day they may go to a war, i shrivel up with fear. and i put on the mask of denial. if my loved ones want to serve, i know i can't stop them. if they don't, i can't make them it is their decision. i hope they do. i hope they don't. if they do i can only hope the leadership is of the same caliber of Matt and Brandon. and if they read this blog, remember those you lead were kids at one time just like your own who wait for you back home. i also know that they and you will come home safely because of your leadership. as a parent, thanks. as an American, i am privileged to have met you. i pray for you and all those who serve. God Bless you.
until next time...