TURTLE TOWNSHIP — After fulfilling a lifelong dream of joining the military, Marine Pvt. James Forrest is back in Turtle Township to spend the holidays with his grateful family.

But they all know he won’t be here much longer.

“I’ll probably get deployed right after (training),” the 18-year-old Clinton High School graduate said. “The talk is I’ll more likely be going to Afghanistan than Iraq.”

As dangerous as that might be, he’ll be doing what he loves.

“I had an uncle in the Army for 20 years, and I basically just wanted to do my part — serve my country — especially after 9-11,” Forrest said. “I just picked the hardest branch.”

Forrest had 10 days of leave after his boot camp graduation early in November, but he was back in Marine combat training for Thanksgiving. He missed being with his family on that holiday, but enjoyed taking part in a program that places Marines who are far from home with local families on those days (see related graphic).

“They had an adopt-a-Marine program, so I got to go eat at someone’s house,” he said. “It wasn’t so bad.”

But now he’s home for Christmas and his family is glad to see him.

“Oh, it was tough — tough, tough, way tough,” his father Andi Forrest said about having his son gone at boot camp.

“He missed him a lot,” Tina Campbell, Forrest’s stepmother, said about her husband. “Marines have the longest boot camp — 13 weeks. They didn’t realize the little things they used to do together that they missed.”

Andi Forrest was surprised when his son chose the Marines.

“I thought, ‘wow.’ I always knew he wanted to be in the military, but when he picked the Marines I was shocked,” Forrest said.

For dad, boot camp was the hardest.

“He wasn’t able to call,” Andi Forrest said, adding that he often picked up his phone to call James before remembering that he couldn’t. “I’m used to talking to him every day,” he said.

After completing Marine combat training in November in California, James Forrest returned to Wisconsin Dec. 5 for a month of rest and relaxation with family and friends.

“It was weird, because it was actually weird to see snow,” he said of his Midwest homecoming. “Coming back made me remember what time of year it is.”

Since he might not get that much time at home again for a long while, his family is grateful for the month they have with him.

“Having him home for so long — that was actually a surprise. That was nice for the family,” said Angie Forrest, James’ aunt.

She said the Marines have had a positive effect on her nephew.

“You do start to see some changes,” she said. “He’s got a very, very upbeat attitude. He’s looking at life a lot differently, more positively, like an adult.”

During his time at home, Forrest is busy spending time with his siblings, hunting and seeing many friends — some home from college on semester breaks, while others are on leave from military service.

“He’s on the go all the time,” Campbell said.

When he leaves Wisconsin again on Jan. 7, he’ll head first to Florida and then to the East Coast, where he’ll learn to be part of a crew taking care of aircraft like the C-130 and the Osprey helicopter.

“As soon as I get done with all my schooling, I’ll get put in my division, my regiment, all that good stuff,” he said.

For his family, the goodbyes get a bit easier each time.

“We’re very excited for him,” Angie Forrest said. “We’re all very proud of James.”