My little sister is officially a grown up and officially in the Air Force. She just graduated Air Force Tech School and before that, the 8 grueling weeks of basic training. Her entire family is beaming with pride today as we stare at the picture of her in the neatly tailored dress uniform and blue beret. People say that the military forces you to grow up and although I have seen many military personnel who will never grow up, I think the statement is true for Erica. It was true for me as well. I understand the feeling of pride and accomplishment, and doing something so rare among your circle of friends who are working as managers in the mall, handling fast food, or don’t know what they’re going to do yet. Wasn’t it only a few years ago we were the same? During my senior year of high school, the thought never entered my mind, but a year and a half later there I was. In ROTC, and then airborne school, where the military became real to me for the first time. Airborne school was the fi