WASHINGTON —
As of 2017, about two million people were serving in the U.S. military. All of these service members chose to don their respective service's uniform for varying reasons. Many sign up to give back to their country. Others join for a steady paycheck, to learn a new skill or for access to the benefits available to service members, such as medical care and education.
For some, they join to continue a family heritage. Such is the case for Marco and Ivan Kalkbrenner, two brothers who chose to continue their family's legacy of service; following in the footsteps of their father and grandmother. Ivan is an Air Force staff sergeant assigned to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, as a security forces member. Marco retired from the Air Force in 2017 as a master sergeant following 20 years of service, also as a security forces member.
While their paternal grandmother began the family's lineage, it was their father, Anthony Dimitri Kalkbrenner, who instilled the extreme sense of pride and service to the military.
“My father would give you the shirt off his back for anyone in need,” Ivan said. “He was just that type of person; an incredible role model. They really broke the mold when they made him and I'm striving to become more like him.”
A Family Calling
Anthony served in the Navy and served 30 years, retiring as a…
