Al Trompo Mexican Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Comaraderie, brothers-in-arms, esprit-de-corps, commitment, dedication…Unless you’ve served your country in the armed forces of the United States, these terms probably don’t mean much. For those of us who did serve–proudly, gallantly, nobly–these terms mean everything. They’re not just a call to arms; they’re our code of conduct. They’re the way we carry ourselves. They denote our commitment to one another, the importance of taking care of our own. The uniforms worn by the select and exceptional men and women signify the call to duty–the ideals, and the shared title of being an American and believing in all that means. More than any other factor, it’s those ideals that truly bind servicemen and women together, across all five branches. Our brotherhood–that inexorable bond–doesn’t mean we’re not competitive with one another. Fierce rivalries exist among the five branches. We’ve been known to throw down with brothers-in-arms in defense of our particular branch. We rib one another good-naturedly with insults and derrogatory terms. That’s what brothers and sisters do. Our familial skirmishes and disses are ours exclusively. If you didn’t serve, you won’t be invited to participate. Like good families are, we’re mostly respectful and proud of our brothers-in-arms. We thank one another…
