During morning announcements on Tuesday, August 31, student Amanda Juetten called for recognition and announced that she had someone on the phone.
“I’m safe and sound,” we heard a voice say from her iPhone’s speaker. Cheers broke out, along with cries of “Thank you for your service.” The voice was Amanda’s son Lorenzo, a U.S. Marine Corporal just back in Kuwait after participating in the mission to protect the Kabul Airport during the evacuation. He was one of more than 5,000 Marines deployed in that mission. We had all been worrying along with Amanda since Lorenzo’s deployment and felt relief and gratitude for his service and the safe return of Lorenzo and for his fellow Marines, and all send our love, thoughts, and prayers to the grieving families of the 13 Marines who gave their lives on that difficult mission.
Amanda is from Tennessee and came to the center for training mid-summer.