It has come full circle for me now.....

I remember just over six years ago after that fateful day in New York. Hundreds of fireman from Chicago and all over the country answered the call for New York. We traveled hours by car and caravan to go to a city that had just been struck by the worst possible thing imaginable. None of us knew what to expect or if we could even help, but deep down somewhere in our souls we knew that it was our time to help our brothers and our fellow citizens. Arriving that early Friday morning I remember the images of coming into Manhattan. Just across the river you could see in between the bldgs., smoke, tons of lights and this huge pile of debris. It definitely was surreal. As we came into Manhattan and found a place to park our suburban, it was a ghost town. Looked like a war zone. Cars turned upside down and burned, debris everywhere, empty, desolate with this fine white dust spread on everything you could see. We got our gear and walked down to "the pile". What I saw that night I will never forget. At that moment my life changed. I grew up in a matter of ways by years. I realized how precious life is and how lucky we are to live the way we do. I experienced every emotion within that initial sight. I was sad and wanted to cry, I was pissed and was ready to kill anyone that I could find that did this to our people and my brothers, I was sick and wanted to vomit, I wanted to go home and hug my girlfriend, sisters, Dad, Mom, cousins, family and friends. Most of all I was proud to be an American and chose at that moment that I would do anything asked of me by my country.

Just six months after returning from that experience, I enlisted back into our nations military to do my part in whatever was needed. I didn't know where I would go or what I would do. Didn't even know if they would use me. Historically, the use of the Reserve forces have never been used to this extent they have been used today. All other wars were by draft. Today our services are a completely volunteer organization. The weight of conflicts are beared on the shoulders of reservists and our active duty counterparts. I believe that we should do what other countries like England do and require that all military age males serve at least two years in our military. Well, I ended up in Iraq, wasn't sure if I was even going to come here. I came to be a part in something that will effect life for generations. Now at the end of my enlistment, it was once again time to make another choice.

Yesterday I rose my hand once again. Earlier in the morning when I was reviewing my oath it didn't seem like anything more than just words on a page. But the moment I was standing in front of my Commanding Officer, raising my hand and repeating his words, the emotions definitely came through. Of course I kept my bearing, but saying those words I had to choke down the memories of that fateful day.

I, Joseph Rimkus, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

So today I start a new contract and another chapter. Not knowing what the future will hold or where we may end up, my promise to all of you is I will be there for our country. As we say in the Marines....it's time to press on!!

Doc