A Great Accomplishment

I don't have your typical best friend. Not anymore anyways (another story I do not care to discuss). I don't have a girl I run to or call about every single issue who knows my life story almost better than me. Don't get me wrong, I have a few great girlfriends that I trust with my life and whom I gossip with almost daily. However....

My best friend is..... a man. He is the third greatest man I have ever known (after my grandpa and father of course) and I cherish our friendship.

Jeff and I met in Army's basic training in 2002. It was the first couple weeks we were there. We were still in Hell week (which is NOT just one week!) and the drill sergeants were running us to death. We were probably about 3-4 miles into a smoke session (a heavy physical training session) and I thought I was going to loose my motivation and just quit. Just about then I heard this rather annoying voice in my ear... 'keep going, don't give up'. What the...?? Who the hell is this guy? My thoughts were aggressive and I felt myself getting pissed off. A few minutes later, again I hear the voice. His energizing ass lapped me and was there talking to me again. This time he said 'breath in your nose and out your mouth.... try to pace it with your strides'. Ok, this guy needed to beat it. I was almost dying here and I didn't necessarily need any witnesses nor anyone telling me what to do. After he passed me, yet again, I decided to try it. (I know, us women thinking we know everything and can't be told wrong.) Well little by little my running got easier and easier. I didn't see or talk to this 'voice' again for at least another couple of days and I'm not even sure how our next conversation started. I just know from then on, whether he knew it at that time or not, he was my strong shoulder I so often lean on.

Since basic training and AIT together, he went off to airborne school and was stationed in Fort Bragg. The place fit his ego. 'You guys are the best... blah blah blah... No one is better... blah blah blah... Airborne, Hoorah!... blah blah blah.

He would try to front this macho airborne MP persona around me but I knew him better.

Soon after we found ourselves meeting in Iraq. It was fate I tell ya! He was on an escort mission with JAG and I was stationed at a prison. He saw the Nevada flag posted and thought to ask around. Next thing I know a familiar voice is yelling up the tower I was working in and I'll be damned!!

Jeff has seen 3 additional deployments since. He has spent more of his life in Iraq over the past 7 years then he has in the states. I would joke with him during my rare phone calls with him, 'why don't you just find a nice Iraqi woman or 5, settle down, buy some land and stay a while?' I would get the typical F*&K YOU. He has seen a lot of bad things, a lot and yet this man manages to always find the good in things. It's amazing and inspirational to me.

There are many other accomplishments I could talk about that he has surpassed, but what brings me here today is his latest.

On June 10th, my best friend, Jeff Ransick became Drill Sergeant Ransick!!! And he will now be stationed in the very place we first met. I am sooooo incredibly proud of him and I know that he will have such a positive touch on our upcoming soldiers. He can now use his experiences and unique education in a positive way, just how he always unknowingly has...