‘Grambo’ Gung-Ho for Gulf Duty
Some soldiers being sent to the Persian Gulf have their children at home to worry about. But Air Force reservist Lorain Kuryla, who is nicknamed “Grambo,” also has her five grandchildren.
When the United States began sending troops to the Gulf after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, Kuryla--an Air Force reservist for 19 years--didn’t hesitate to answer a call for volunteers.
“This is what I’ve been trained for, and I’m glad for the opportunity to serve my country,” said Kuryla, who turns 63 on Friday.
“In fact, I feel better about going because I have no small children at home to care for,” she added. “I feel it will relieve pressure from young mothers and fathers about being sent.”
“It’s kind of weird to think of my mother with an M-16,” said her son, Michael Kuryla, 37. “I can honestly say that my mother wears combat boots.”
Leaving behind her family in west suburban Hillside, Kuryla, a master sergeant from the 928th Tactical Airlift Group, left O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday, bound for the Middle East.
Kuryla works in Air Force personnel and will be one of three noncoms sent to the region to handle records, her son said.
The grandchildren were the ones to come up with the “Grambo” nickname.
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