Patriot

A young staff sargeant works for a friend of mine here.  He is not outstanding, but clearly competent in what he does.  His wit is sharp, and he is friendly enough.  The captivating thing about him, though, is his courage.  Jabar was born in the US to strict muslim parents from Pakistan.  After education in the states, and against their wishes, he joined the military medical service corp.  With no wife or children, and a first-generation loyalty to his country, he volunteered for deployment to war in either Afghanistan or Iraq. His parents forbade this, and thus, he never told them to where he was sent.  He has been here for months, and his life is here.  He has virtually no contact with home, and his parents, with whom he has not spoken in months, think he is somewhere in the far east without the capacity to call or email.  His love and respect for his parents, and his devotion to his nation mutually exist in his heart.