Bestest Brother Ever

If you know me at all, you will agree that I love my siblings. I am proud of each one of them in their own way. Being the oldest of five, I have either experienced first hand or watched from a distance the growth and development of Jason, Brittany, Tiffany and Jessica. I want to take a few moments to brag about Jason.

Jason joined the Navy right out of high school. Even he would say that he wasn't "college material". Throughout elementary, middle and high school, Jason struggled to stay out of trouble. He couldn't sit still and had a hard time paying attention. He was never malicious or disrespectful. He was (and still is!!) an intelligent child, but very rarely did this translate in the classroom. In fact, most of his teachers really liked him, he just drove them nuts. In hindsight, I recognize Jason's challenges were an ADHD type of issue that was never addressed properly.

After Navy basic training, Jason went to a school to be a meteorologist. But his passion--what he really loved, was spending his spare time as a volunteer firefighter in Pensacola, FL. I knew he loved the thrill of the chase and the personal satisfaction of serving his community. I thought the volunteer fire program was kinda firefighter lite, tho. I was glad he was staying busy and happy, but didn't understand how much risk was involved in what he did. He carried a radio with him, a prepared fire suit complete with boots ready in his trunk. If he heard dispatch call out a wreck, fire or other emergency within his area, Jason shot off like a rocket. In this geographical region, the paid city firefighters were only on call in the station from 6am til 6pm or so. In other words, these volunteers were taking the same full responsibility in the night time that paid folks took in the day. He had the same training and earned the same credentials as "real" firemen, but he did it on his own time. By the time Jason left Pensacola in late 2004, early 2005--he had attained the rank of Captain with the VFD. As a first responder, Jason has helped deliver a set of twins ("They were slippery little boogers!!"). He was on a volunteer fire and rescue squad when Hurricane Dennis came ashore and devastated the Gulf Coast just prior to Katrina. He called me the night the storm was supposed to hit...from a carpet warehouse in an evacuated zone so that the equipment would be ready the next morning to make necessary rescues and cut thru debris. I could hear the wind howling in the background. Rather than worring, I had peace, knowing he was where he wanted and needed to be. The Weather Channel did a "Storm Stories" piece about his unit on Innerarity Point in Escambia County.

Flash forward 3 years. Lots has happened. Jason left the Navy. He reenlisted with the Tennessee Air National Guard. Our father died. Jason married the beautiful nurse that cared for Daddy. He is now working as a paid firefighter for the small town of Bryant, Arkansas--But recently had an opportunity to apply with the City of Little Rock Fire Department. Out of 400 applicants, Jason ranked #14 and (pending his background check) is being offered a spot for the next round of hires in January. In addition, he has been approached by at least two other Department of Defense organizations looking for a firefighter/EMT with his credentials and certifications. I couldn't be more proud of Jason's accomplishments. He is one hell of a brother, husband, son and fireman. With this kind of success, who needs to be "college material"?