My Brother Is Cooler Than Yours.  Deal With It.

I just got back from California on what will surely be the most unique of all the family vacations we will ever take.  We went to pick up my younger brother Matthew from Bootcamp Graduation for the United States Marine Corps!


On Thursday we went to Family Day, watched him run, and finally after what seemed like ages, we got to spend some time with him.  He took us around MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot).  As we went through the Museum with him I was incredibly impressed with how much he had retained.  I knew he had always been an amazing guy, but DANG this kid rocks.  It's impressive to see the way he carries himself and his truly awesome self-less-ness.  Plus this kid looked really really ridiculously good-looking.  Three months of training had done some incredible things to him physically, mentally, and spiritually.


The ceremony was amazing.  There is nothing like watching these guys march.  It was epic! We had an amazing time watching the ceremony and it was fun to be there with cousins, uncles and aunts, and grandparents.  But the best part?  Watching them break formation so Matt could come back and spend the next two weeks with us.  There were definitely some smiling faces going on!



He told us all about his training - about the Crucible and the week of hell that was - including some trips to the gas chamber, running up mountains with huge gear packs on, and all sorts of other unpleasantnesses combined.  The hardest workout he suffered through was the 300 workout which consisted of three sets of max rep pull ups followed by three sets of max rep push ups followed by a run around the base, repeated 300 times.  Yes you read that right.  Three-HUNDRED-times.


You can't help but be impressed by them.  If there is anyone I want defending this country it is these guys.  I don't care what you're belief is about the war on terror, or how you think defense should be organized.  One good look at the heart of this Corps where "uncommon valor is a common virtue" and you will realize that these are the men who will get the job done.  They are the ones who will be found at the front changing the world.  President Ronald Reagan said, "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world.  But, the Marines don't have that problem."

And my brother is one of them.   He is destined for great things.  And I couldn't be more proud.  If there's anyone who has truly earned the title Marine, it's him.

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Everything was fine until we hit LA freeways.  You don’t know stress until you’ve driven in Los Angeles.  It’s not just the traffic jams; it’s the freeways themselves.  Here you are minding your own business driving along a seemingly decent highway when it goes and splits into three freeways on you and the one you thought you had been driving on happened to be at the far end of the lanes and you have no hope of getting there in time.  Thank goodness of my Google Maps app with GPS navigation on my phone, or I’d probably be dead.