When I met Bob, he was struggling. As newlyweds in our first apartment, Bob was our upstairs neighbor. He had been injured on the job and was on medical leave from work and going to rehab. Through many painful months, my husband and Bob became close friends and would work out together at the gym. I heard many funny stories resulting from these outings; like the time Bob turned the treadmill all the way up and was thown backwards into the drinking fountain. Bob became stronger and recovered from his injuries. He expressed his lifelong dream of joining the army, but there were many obstacles that he had to overcome. He wanted to do something honorable with his life and the military was his vision of honor. He worked very hard and eventually got into the army. Since joining, he has had a little girl named Sara and has been serving the U.S. in Operation Iraqi Freedom for the past year. He has seen many things and been in real danger, but he is proud to be an American soldier and I am so proud of him for pursuing his dreams.