Another True Patriot

Did you know that Michael Jordan has an older brother in the Army? That's right, multi-millionaire, quite possibly the greatest basketball player in history Michael Jordan has a brother in the Army.

From CNN:

Michael Jordan's brother heads to Iraq

Older brother asks to delay retirement to complete deployment

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (AP) -- Army Command Sgt. Maj. James R. Jordan has much in common with his younger brother, retired basketball star Michael Jordan.

He loves his job, believes in helping his team and expects maximum effort from those around him. And like his brother, James Jordan likes to leave on his own terms.

He has asked to stay in the Army for a year beyond his mandatory retirement date so he can complete a yearlong deployment to Iraq with the 35th Signal Brigade.

Command Sgt. Maj. James R. Jordan at Fort Bragg, North Carolina: 'That's what I am, a leader.'

"We are currently at war," Jordan said before the unit started shipping out Sunday. "We are doing things, and it requires leaders to do certain things. That's what I am, a leader."

Under normal conditions, the 47-year-old Jordan would wind down his Army career in the spring as he approached the 30-year mark, but he has no intention of getting on an airplane April 29 and coming home.

"That's not the way you want to end a 30-year career," Jordan told The Fayetteville Observer.

"People ask 'Why?"' said Col. Bryan Ellis, the brigade commander. "The answer is, he is completely selfless. We all want to see it go well."

Jordan is a no-nonsense noncommissioned officer with a shaved head and a wry sense of humor. He stands 5-foot-7, while his younger brother is about 6-foot-6. As the senior enlisted soldier in the brigade of 2,450 soldiers, he has kept a low profile at Fort Bragg and avoided calling attention to his family connection.

"If you don't believe in selfless service, you are not going to make it in this business," said Jordan, the oldest person in the brigade.

He was 36, wearing the stripes of a first sergeant, when he went to airborne school, where most soldiers are in their teens or early 20s. He still runs eight miles and expects soldiers to be alongside him.

Three years of Junior ROTC during high school in Wilmington helped convince Jordan that the Army was for him.

"I figured I wanted to be a soldier, plus I was the oldest of five kids," he said. "I wanted to get out of the house and do something myself."

He said some of his relatives don't really know what he does.

"They know I'm in the Army. That's about it," he said. "My immediate family and my wife, my kids, not extremely happy, but they are on the team. They say: 'Daddy, do what you've got to do."'

"I've been doing this by myself for so long, being my own person, being my own soldier," he said. "I'm going to continue doing it the same way until the day I feel like I need to hang it up, not when they feel like I need to hang it up."

This speaks volumes about this great man. His brother is wealthy beyond the imagination of most people. I am sure he doesn't have to stay in the Army. Michael Jordan would likely see to it that his big bro and his family were well taken care of. However, despite this fact Command Sgt. Maj. Jordan not only stayed in the Army now he is fighting to stay beyond mandatory retirement so that he can see his troops through their upcoming one year deployment in Iraq.

While the media likes to focus on the negative, like the Navy's P03 Paredes, a coward who publicly refused to deploy to Iraq and cowards turned deserters Hinzman and Huey what they really need to focus on is the brave selfless actions of great men like Command Sgt. Maj. Jordan.

I sincerely hope the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense find a way for Jordan to stay with his troops until their safe return.

This is the Jordan that people should associate with the words role model and hero. While his little brother Mike was a basketball phenomenon the older Jordan is a life phenomenon!

Command Sgt. Maj. Jordan you are truly a man that any enlisted man in any branch can look up to and aspire to be like.

Hooah Sgt. Maj.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at December 19, 2004 08:45 AM