Congratulations to your brother for being accepted by the Marines. Not everybody can make the cut. He...and you should be proud.

Our son made a similar decision when he was still a senior in high school. Using the "Deferred Enlistment" program. He spent a couple of evenings every week doing PT, learning Military Discipline, Code of Conduct, etc etc. His recruiter kept very close tabs on him. A couple of weeks after graduation he shipped out to Camp Pendelton.

Needless to say, my wife and I were shocked at his decision. He had been in the "Gifted and Talented" programs since the 3rd grade, and had scholarship offers at several universities. We fully expected him to go to college immediately after high school. We tried to convince him to go ahead with college and include ROTC...he could then get a commission upon graduation. However, he had other ideas and we respected his decision.

That was nine years ago. Now he's a Staff Sargeant, and plans to stay for 20. He's in Signals Intel, doing things I don't want to know about, in places we hear of frequently in the news. Needless to say, we are very proud of him.

My wife said that the only thing more painful than giving birth is watching them leave the nest. In a way, it's not unlike the way you probably feel about your brother.

All I can say is to be proud...and pray. A lot. Good luck to him.