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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (December 13, 2005) Brandon Rasnick has cystic fibrosis, and his dream was to be a Marine. He wanted to wear the gear, be in the trenches and drive in a tank to make him an official Marine. Sergeant Carlos F. Jaramillo, indoor simulated marksmanship training chief for Headquarters Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, provided support to the Make-A-Wish project to help make a child's dream come true Dec. 13.

Photo by Pfc. Terrell A. Turner

New Jersey Marine helps dream come true

22 Dec 2005 | Pfc. Terrell A. Turner 2nd Marine Division

Marines are proud to serve the country because they are capable of making a huge difference in the world.  Whether it’s shedding blood to help give a country freedom or just talking to someone in need of comfort, Marines impact the lives of people everyday.

Sergeant Carlos F. Jaramillo, indoor simulated marksmanship training chief for Headquarters Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment was able to add another reason to his list of why he’s proud to be a Marine.

He provided support to the Make-A-Wish project to help make a child’s dream come true Dec. 13.

Brandon Rasnick has cystic fibrosis, and his dream was to be a Marine.  He wanted to wear the gear, be in the trenches and drive in a tank to make him an official Marine.

Brandon and his family flew here from Lehigh Acres, Fla., Dec. 12 on a trip sponsored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation to fulfill his dreams.  After the first day of touring, Brandon was ready to get his hands dirty at the 6th Marine Regiment ISMT.  There, Jaramillo helped prepare him for handling weapons.  He was able to shoot the M-16A2 service rifle, M240G machine gun, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, MK-19 automatic grenade launcher and other weapons in a simulated environment.

“It just felt good to make someone’s dream come true,” Jaramillo said.  “I hope it helps the build the families morale.”

Jaramillo helped facilitate this by showing Brandon around the ISMT and letting him shoot the weapons.

Brandon’s dream of being a Marine was something that Jaramillo can relate to.

“I always looked up to Marines when I was a kid,” Jaramillo said.  “It was my dream to join the Marine Corps.”

Jaramillo spent a lot of his childhood bouncing from city to city through New Jersey.  He managed to settle down long enough in 1997 to graduate from Liceo Quimbaya High School in Colombia (South America), where he wrestled and speed skated for his school team.

Soon after, he skated his way into a recruiter office and made his own dreams come true.  Now, Jaramillo will help inspire people to do the same.

“I hope I inspire other to fulfill their dreams, whether it was to be a Marine or something else,” Jaramillo said.