Depending on who you ask, having a sibling is one of the best, or worst, experiences anyone can have depending on the day.
Occurrences such as sibling rivalries, competitive natures and more can be some of the things one deals with, and sometimes even a cat fight that can result in the younger one getting hurt, or so my brother has told me. I have a younger brother, but only by one year, therefore although we have a very close relationship, we may also have the most intense disagreements.
To me, though, having a sibling is one of the, if not that biggest, advantage one can have.
Although we have many things in common, one has stuck out to mostly everyone that has gotten to know us over the past few months- we are both now members of the Iowa Army National Guard.
My brother decided to join the National Guard only a year and some weeks after I enlisted, and having the pleasure and opportunity to not only mentor him, but be by his side through the process of enlistment, has been the highlight of my short and current enlistment.
When asking my younger brother, Ian Marquez, why he decided to join the service, his answer not only surprised me, but deeply touched me, as he stated “I decided to join the National Guard because I wanted to follow in her footsteps. She’s my biggest inspiration in life.”
Although we have always known that we must take care and protect each other, we have now found a new term that describes our relationship- battle buddies. The term battle buddy was taught to me as I joined the Army, and has since been engraved into my everyday life. With my brother joining the National Guard, this term has taken on a whole different meaning.
As my brother’s battle buddy, I want and strive to be there for him in every occasion that I am able to, especially when he needs it the most. As my battle buddy, he wants me to be the best version of myself, so even when I do not feel like running some miles, knowing that he will be by my side makes it all the better.
Although our Army careers are barely beginning, I already see the strength that we bring out in one another, and although I have always been grateful for having a sibling, having one by my side and with me through one of the toughest times in my life is more than I could ever ask for.
