Cecil Pendleton, a 24-year-old Ball State University graduate living in Indianapolis, is packing up his apartment and preparing for the trip of a lifetime.
Pendleton, now a second lieutenant with the Indiana Army National Guard, is facing deployment to Iraq.
He is scheduled to report for duty on Sunday and begin his mobilization, at which point he will be given more information about his duties and go through mission-specific training. He will be stationed within the U.S. during training, then he'll head to Iraq for one year.
"When I received an e-mail that I might be mobilized, I kind of freaked out," Pendleton said. "It took about a week to process. My current mindset is that it's part of my job; it's in my job description. I wake up in the morning when it's time. I put on my uniform. I knew that four years ago when I signed up.
"It's my honor and privilege to serve, and I'll do the best I can."
He enlisted with the National Guard when he was 20 years old, just two weeks before his younger brother, Charles Pendleton, enlisted.
"I had family history in the military," Cecil Pendleton said. "I wanted to carry on and be part of it."
Cecil Pendleton became involved in the military through the ROTC program at Ball State.
"When he started ROTC and the National Guard, it was more to pay for school," Ball State alumnus Carlton Carley, who lived with Pendleton for three years during college, said. "But that lifestyle and that sense of order, rank and discipline appealed to him. He didn't want to just dip his foot in it; he wanted to be immersed in the culture."
His brother said that Cecil Pendleton might be a tough soldier, but he's a gentle person.
"He is probably one of the biggest bears I've ever known," Charles Pendleton said. "He's this huge 6-foot, 200-pound guy, but he's a teddy bear. If you met him in a dark alley, you might be scared, but he would run up and hug you. But if someone was getting hurt, he would take on as many dudes as possible to try and help you out."
Not only do Pendleton's friends and family admire his friendly and outgoing personality, but that is what attracted his girlfriend to him.
"I think the first thing that I ever noticed about him is just his willingness to do anything for anyone," Rachel Mabie, Pendleton's girlfriend of four months, said.
The two met on move-in day of Mabie's freshman year two years ago while Pendleton was helping people move into the dorms. He offered to help Mabie and her mother when they were struggling to build her loft.
Pendleton and Mabie waited three and a half months before sharing their first kiss, and Mabie said it is her fondest memory with him.
"He took me downtown," she said. "We were all dressed up taking pictures in front of a water fountain. He dipped me, and he kissed me, and we got it on camera."
Mabie describes her boyfriend as sweet and outgoing, but Pendleton's brother knows there is more to his personality than charm.
Charles Pendleton was unable to leave the place he was stationed because it was too close to the time he would be leaving for Iraq. So officers arranged a trip for Cecil Pendleton to go to Camp Atterbury, so his brother could render the first salute at his commission ceremony. As part of custom, Cecil gave Charles a silver coin.
"They allowed me to get away for a little bit for the ceremony," Charles Pendleton said. "He called me up there and put me to attention, and he gave me his first salute. We shook hands, and he gave me the coin. Then I gave him a big hug."
"I don't think about the fact that it's a war zone over there and I might get blown up," Cecil Pendleton said. "It's just part of the job description, and I'm ready for that."
As a platoon leader, Pendleton's main concern is the safety of his men.
"My biggest fear is that I might screw up and cause somebody their life," he said. "It all comes back to me, and that's kind of intense."
Cecil Pendleton is also concerned with having to leave his family, friends and girlfriend. He said the year apart will be difficult for him, especially because the lines of communication will be limited to letters, e-mails and occasional phone calls.
"A year is a long time, and it's going to be tough being apart," he said. "I'm in the hot zone, and they're back here worrying about me and hanging tough while I'm working in Iraq."
While Cecil Pendleton focuses his thoughts on the final days before deployment, Mabie tries to remain positive and enjoy her last week to be with her boyfriend before he leaves.
"I'm trying not to think about any fears right now," Mabie said. "I'm just trying to have faith and trust, and I'm sure the fears will come, so I don't want to get ahead of myself right now.
However, Mabie sees the chance for growth in their relationship, too.
"I'm sad that he's gonna be gone for so long, but I'm also kind of looking at it as an opportunity because we'll have the chance to experience a long distance relationship."
Cecil Pendleton is leaving more than just his girlfriend behind - including family members that are important in his life. His parents, Cecil and Theresa Pendleton, are concerned for their son's safety, but his mother is trying to stay positive. She said she is just going to enjoy the last week that she gets to spend with her son before he leaves.
"Since I already went through one son going over there, I feel better about it," his mother said. "My feelings are to just trust that God would keep him safe and bring him back."
Pendleton's father is more concerned about the dangers his son will face in Iraq.
"You really don't want to know what I'm feeling," Pendleton's father said. "I would go in his place if I could. My life's used up, his is just beginning. Pray for him. This time around, he's gonna need it."
Having already served in Iraq, Charles Pendleton has an idea of what it will be like for his brother, but he hopes Cecil Pendleton will come back stronger.
"He's going to be going out a lot while he's over there, and that's scary," he said. "But it will be a good learning experience. It will be interesting to see how it develops him as an officer."
Like Cecil Pendleton's other friends and family, Carley said he will miss his friend, but he looks forward to Pendleton's return next year.
"Being in the U.S. Army, I feel like he's in pretty good hands," Carley said. "And the U.S. Army is in Cecil's hands, so they're in pretty good hands, too."
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