My Brother

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Today at around noon, my brother, Jose Lugo, left for basic training for the army. He's 19 years old. He's been involved with joining the army since around February. All my family from all around Texas and my brother's wife's family was also there. Everyone was crying. I held it back as much as I could. This is the first time he leaves for a long period of time. He will be gone for 9 weeks and will be able to contact us every 2-3 weeks. Then he will be able to come back for vacation, 2 weeks I believe. From then on, he will leave for more important trainings, leaving for 6 months and only coming home for the holidays. Then he will become an actual soldier and I heard him say that he will specialize in a section called field artillery. To you bro :toast. Be careful and come back in one piece please. Love ya, man.

[TDMVPDPOY]

when you mean training, bush aint sending him to iraq for trainin right??

more like to japan, or usa base camps.....

anyway tops to your bro....

ps. why a career in the army though?

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

when you mean training, bush aint sending him to iraq for trainin right???


more like to japan, or usa base camps.....

Fort Jackson, South Carolina


anyway tops to your bro....

Thanks. :king (<----My brother)


ps. why a career in the army though?
I have no idea.

[Flight3107]

My brother has been in since 2000, once I graduate from college I will also be headed to the military.


hope your bro stays safe

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

My brother has been in since 2000, once I graduate from college I will also be headed to the military.
Wow. Good luck to you and your brother.



hope your bro stays safe
Thanks.

[Flight3107]

Couple of pics of my Bro's 2nd tour of Iraq in Ramadi

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/5701/andrewiniraq001lt4.png

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4015/andrewiniraq002qq1.png

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/8607/andrewiniraq003yj8.png


http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/1341/andrewiniraq004qt5.png

Wall getting planted with explosive

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/7605/andrewiniraq005hl8.png

Wall blowing up

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/6654/andrewiniraq006sz2.png

Hole in the wall

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/8339/andrewiniraq007mc6.png

A little dust storm

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/9271/andrewiniraq010uc6.png

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Cool.

[to21]

Cool pics Flight.

May your brother come home safe.

[RashoFan]

May all your loved ones come home safe and soon. My guy will be leaving Ft Dix soon to go to Iraq. I served in the Navy from 89 to 95 and I salute :toast those who has served as is serving. Thanks to all the Soldiers, Airman, Marines,Sailors, National Guard and the Coasties; Retired, Reservists and Active alike.

[Flight3107]

Cool pics Flight.

May your brother come home safe.


He is home now, and will be for the next 2 years because he is going through Special Forces in Ft. Bragg.

[Marklar MM]

Good luck to your brother. Hope he stays safe in training and when he is finally deployed. My cousin is going back to Iraq for the 3rd time.

[spurschick]

:toast

[T Park]

Much love to your brother and all the fantastic soliders out there.

Their fantastic work is what allows us to shit here and bitch about cheap basketball ownership.

[AlamoSpursFan]

Thank you, Jose.

Good luck, and Godspeed!

[florige]

Fort Jackson, South Carolina



Thanks. :king (<----My brother)


I have no idea.


He might want a career in government law enforcement after his stint, FBI,CIA,NSA,DEA,ATF, all of the following agencies look VERY highly on military duty. Most of the agents for these agencies are of military background.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but why the hell would anyone choose to join the army right now?

Anyway, I hope for your family's sake that he comes back safe.

[KEDA]

I wish the very best for all the troops that are either here or abroad fighting to keep my fat ass safe and warm every night.

[IceColdBrewski]

Field artillery? Yuck. I don't envy your brother. I was a medic for a field artillery unit in the 82nd Airborne. He's facing plenty of hard work, and long stretches away from home during his enlistment.

During Basic training, you need to send him as much mail as you can. Even if it's just a letter with a few lines, getting mail at the end of a hard day is enough to keep you going. Tell your family to do the same. You're cut-off from the real world during basic. You feel lonely, like the world is passing you by. So send him info on things that are happening in the world. If he's a sports fan, send him info on all his favorite teams so he can keep up. Whatever his interests are, send him info on it. It's a HUGE morale booster after a day of drill sergents yelling in your face and making you run 5 miles.

[Spider Pig]

Spider Pig salutes your brother.

[IceColdBrewski]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but why the hell would anyone choose to join the army right now?

Still plenty of good reasons. Think about it. There are people out there who're struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table for their families. The military is a quick solution to that problem.

Free medical for family

Free Dental for family

A steady paycheck

Job security

Money for college

World travel

The list goes on and on. My wife joined because the Army promised to pay off all her student loans. And they did. She went to USC and had well over 30,000 worth of student loans. All paid for now.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Still plenty of good reasons. Think about it. There are people out there who're struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table for their families. The military is a quick solution to that problem.

Free medical for family

Free Dental for family

A steady paycheck

Job security

Money for college

World travel

The list goes on and on. My wife joined because the Army promised to pay off all her student loans. And they did. She went to USC and had well over 30,000 worth of student loans. All paid for now.

Is it worth putting your life on the line though??

im pretty sure you can sell a organ for that price.....

[IceColdBrewski]

Is it worth putting your life on the line though??

im pretty sure you can sell a organ for that price.....

So letting a doctor slice you open and take out an organ isn't putting your life on the line?

As far as the Army, it all depends on which job you choose. If you take infantry, artillery, combat medic, etc, chances are, you're gonna find yourself in combat whenever we're at war. But there are plenty of jobs in the Army that will likely never involve actual combat. The first job they offered me was a heavy crane operator. How many times do you think a heavy crane operator is going to find himself on the front lines? Not very often, if at all. Those guys are back home using cranes to load tanks, humvee's, etc, onto trains to be shipped out.

Between my Wife and I, the only place we've ever been sent to is Korea. And we actually enjoyed that. She's been in for 12 years, and still never been deployed to a combat area.

[BeerIsGood!]

He is home now, and will be for the next 2 years because he is going through Special Forces in Ft. Bragg.

Have you had a chance to visit your brother at Bragg? I actually enjoyed my time there (the lack of things to do in Fayetteville not withstanding) and really enjoyed March Madness in that college basketball hotbed.

[Flight3107]

Have you had a chance to visit your brother at Bragg? I actually enjoyed my time there (the lack of things to do in Fayetteville not withstanding) and really enjoyed March Madness in that college basketball hotbed.


No, I have not got a chance to get out there. Right now would be kind of hard to do because he just started his medical training, 9 hours a day 6 days a week for 11 months. By the time he gets done with that, I will have already graduated and be in the military myself.

[Taco]

Today at around noon, my brother, Jose Lugo, left for basic training for the army.

God Bless you Brother and all of our Troops!!! http://www.funfilesandsmiles.com/smileys2/001629781.gif

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Yeah i wish him good luck.
I got a relative there as well.

[angel_luv]

I will say a prayer for your brother for safe and happy training. :)

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

He's back! :danceclub

[duncan228]

Glad your brother is back.
It must feel great to see him after so long.
What's his next step?

[T Park]

Tell your brother we love him and all his fellow compatriots.

Much love to our boys, they are doing fantastic work over there!!

[The sone]

heres a tip...WRITE TO HIM!

nothing sucks worse than mail call coming and going and your name not being called...


im sure he'll make a great soldier...

[easjer]

I'm glad he's back. My brother joined the reserves in 2001 at the end of his junior year of high school. His unit was briefly activated during 9/11 aftermath, but since they hadn't received full training they were deactivated. His college career was messed up by the training schedule, but the Army has been really good for him. He did a tour in Iraq (fortunately with a medical unit, so he rarely left the base). Even after that, when he came home, he decided to re-up and switch the remainder of his time to ROTC. He's graduating in May and will be receiving his commission.

I don't know enough about it, and he doesn't always explain things well to me, but he's been decorated and elevated several times over (he's the nxo for his unit?). He's done very well for himself and we are so proud of him. The biggest worry I have is what will happen to him next - he's going into chemical and biological weapons. I know what my mom has told me about it, but I know he softens things up for her - he tends to tell me the real stories. I'll probably learn more next week.

Jason's best friend is stationed out in Fort Bragg (just returned from his second tour in Iraq last month).

I will pray for your brother - that he has the luck my brother and Jason's friend have had, and that he is kept safe and sound. It's a great thing he's doing, for his country and himself.

[PakiDan]

I GIVE HUGE PROPS TO YOUR BROTHER. HE HAS MADE THE CONSCIOUS DECISION TO JOIN THE FIERCEST FIGHTING FORCE IN THE WORLD IN ORDER TO PROTECT YOURS AND MY LIBERTIES. IT TAKES A STRONG PERSON TO DECIDE TO PUT THEMSELVES IN HARMS WAY IN ORDER TO UPHOLD AND PROTECT THE FREEDOM THAT YOU AND I ENJOY EVERY DAY. I SALUTE YOUR BROTHER AND HOPE FOR A SAFE RETURN. LET HIM KNOW IN THE LEAST THAT I THANK HIM.

http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/images/ArmyCreed.jpg

huahh!!

[samikeyp]

Glad to see he's back for the holidays. Best gift your family could get. :tu

[mrsmaalox]

What a wonderful Christmas present for you and your family!

[FromWayDowntown]

Soldiers can never get enough credit. Props to your brother.

I'm sure the holidays are much happier when a family's soldiers are at home.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

What's his next step?
He'll be working in the airborne-related business.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Thanks everybody for your kindness and love towards him and the rest of our family.
Greatly appreciated. :)