by members of the U.S military. His grandfather,
a WWII veteran, was a prisoner of war; his mother,
brother, Sergeant Jesus Morales, is on active duty in
Georgia, along with many uncles and other relatives.
cent had a rebellious streak. Know-
ing that he needed a better direction
in life, he turned to the U.S. Army.
from his teenage years. Then, after
the tragic events of 9/11, he enlisted
in 2003 at the age of 20 and contin-
ued the family tradition of pursuing
a military career.
(SFC) Morales earned the Military
Occupational Specialty of combat
Fort Lewis, Washington, Morales
was deployed to Iraq for a year in
support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Shortly after his return, he was sent
to Germany and then to the Iraqi
cities of Baghdad and Baqubah for
two years. During this time, he
served as squad leader, platoon ser-
geant and IED Blow in Place dis-
posal team commander. Morales
recalls this assignment as one of the
toughest he faced.
Tyler, who I met at basic training,