The Future Father Aaron

I think this was the best year of AJ's life. He was deployed as an infantryman with his National Guard unit to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. See picture - AJ is second from the right. AJ spent a lot of time riding around the island in a Humvee, up top with his 50 caliber machine gun, providing external security for the prison. He lived in a hut with 30 Spanish-speaking soldiers from New Jersey. They spent their free time wrestling on the floor or watching Spanish MTV. Many of them had personal problems, usually with girlfriends or wives, and they would talk to AJ about them. I think this is where AJ first starting thinking about becoming a chaplain. The rest is history. Tomorrow that journey will come to fruition when AJ will receive his US Army Chaplain bars. I am so very proud of my son.