For King and Country!

My brother-in-law Zeb leaves for Basic Training in the morning. He'll be gone until mid-December and then will continue his training to be a Combat Medic in the Army.

Zeb has volunteered to be deployed "as soon as possible". He's not interested in things like the GI Bill or the income or bonuses or medical care that come with being in the Army... he wants to make a difference in the world. Heather has often said that he was born in the wrong century -- Zeb has the honor and valor of a 15th century knight fighting warlords (and dragons) for the hand of a fair maiden. He's brave, honest, intelligent and a truly good person.

Heather is pretty upset tonight. She's very proud of her brother, but they're close and she already misses him. She's liberal... quite liberal... and wasn't thrilled to hear that he was joining the Army in the first place. She's gotten past that, but still she worries... we all do, and this is just Basic. I imagine the worry will increase quite a bit when it comes time for deployment.

In addition to being a brave knight in the wrong century, Zeb is also an amazing photographer. He has an eye for taking the most incredible pictures... he can really capture a moment. He is responsible for the majority of my "Wordless Wednesday" photographs.

We'll miss you Zeb. Be safe and hurry home to your family.