My brother, Paul

My younger brother, Paul, shipped out for Kuwait and eventually Iraq today.

Paul joined up about one year ago, and went through basic training and then journalism school - so now he'll be attached to various units reporting stories and taking pictures. It makes me feel a bit better knowing that he'll be using a camera more than a gun while over there, but it doesn't ease the worry.

You can follow Paul's adventures at his blog, which you can see by clicking Here.

One interesting thing Paul told me during our last phone conversation for a while yesterday was that the U.S. military in Iraq is not allowed to have any alcohol - no beer, no nothing. Being a muslim country, it's simply against the rules and he said it's strictly enforced. I'm sure my brother, who really enjoys wine, and many of his fellow soldiers will be going through their own version of detox in the coming weeks. He should have internet access though, so I'm hoping that we'll get regular updates letting us know that he is safe.

I'm not a religious person at all, but I pray for Paul's safe return, and moreover I hope the same person that left today comes back to us in one year's time. Be safe brother - we love you.

-JCH