By Emily Hoffman
    The Wauneta Breeze
    
     Kyle and Brandon Hansen were able to make the family Christmas and New Year's celebration a bit brighter by making it back to Palisade for the holidays.
     Brandon, a 2004 Wauneta-Palisade graduate, made the trip home only by agreeing to work 19 days of his leave for a recruiter in North Platte since he didn't have enough leave time.
     He's now back in Twentynine Palms, Calif., his latest stomping ground, where he's been in communications school. He graduates Jan. 21 after completing field training for three weeks.
     Brandon, 18, says he hasn't seen a lot so far, since he's been in boot camp and in school, but he's still enjoying it.
     Now a private first class, Brandon joined the Marine Corps the summer before his senior year at WP, while his brother, Kyle, was in boot camp.
     He hasn't regretted the decision, and is glad he's in the Marines, since he believes he'll have the opportunity to see more, and experience more than if he'd been in college.
     Following his graduation from communications school, Brandon, at the time of this interview, had been scheduled to go to Japan and be there for two years.
     Plans change though. His mother, Barbara Janousek, got a call from Brandon Tuesday afternoon informing her that after a stop at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, he'll be headed out to Iraq within a couple months.
     Janousek said she hadn't been expecting that. Neither had Brandon.
     Kyle, 20, has been in the service a bit longer than his brother. He's stationed in Washington D. C., with the Honor Guard and ceremonial drill.
     While in boot camp he was screened for the Honor Guard, and has been at the job about a year. He was trained as an infantry rifleman, and after one more year in D.C. he'll be shipped to Iraq.
     He says he's ready to go.
     Currently, Kyle, a lance corporal, is involved in ceremony in the nation's capital. Every Tuesday and Friday Kyle takes part in a parade, with a ceremony which the public is invited to attend.
     About once a month he stands at the tomb of the unknown soldier.
     His favorite part of the job is being part of the firing party, giving 21-gun salutes to honor the men and women who have fallen. He also takes part in firing parties for the Marine Corps' birthday, and other important events.
     Included in Kyle's job is being a member of the company that meets fallen soldiers when they come off planes at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. He and those that he serves with are the first ones to greet the bodies of those killed in the line of service.
     Both men say their mother supports their career choices.
     "Sometimes I think she's more into it than we are," says Brandon.
     What will the brothers do when their four years are up?
     Brandon says he'll re-enlist, and study something different. Kyle's not so sure. He might re-enlist, he might not, but he'd like to eventually find a job in law enforcement.
     Both were happy to be home, to connect with their mother, see their sister. Kyle has been able to see his girlfriend and even though Brandon had to work, he was able to relax before facing the battle in Iraq.