As Ian's father, Eric, waits in the driveway with the recruiter who's about to take Ian away to 14 weeks of basic training, Ian embraces friends Nick "Buddha" Nelson, left, and Shane "Pineapple" Doiel. Between hugs, Ian's eyes welled with tears.
Ian approached his father, "You got everything?" Eric whispered.
"Yeah," Ian replied.
The car pulled out. and Ian was gone. "As soon as we saw him driving off, that's when we realized how real it was," "Buddha" says.