Warm send-off for future GI

• Reprints

Jamal Mullins was surprised at St. Martin Deporres 5112 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL after the community and his family came out to honor him after he enlisted with the U.S. Army and will head off to basic training. | Al Podgorski~Chicago Sun-Times

Updated: March 1, 2012 8:37AM

Jamal Mullins is headed for Army basic training this week and knew it would be his last Sunday at St. Martin De Porres church for a while.

But he didn’t know his family and friends would use the occasion to surprise the 19-year-old with a celebratory send-off.

As he left the West Side church, Mullins was handed an American flag and wound up leading a procession to the church hall where speeches were made and refreshments served.

“We have a role model from Austin,” said state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, who helped organize the event.

Most young people who join the military do not get a public send-off like Mullins. But Ford said he had known the young man all his life and that “we need to make sure that when we have special people, everyone should know about it. We always talk about the negative things that happen in the Austin community, but today we get to celebrate Jamal, who’s going on to serve his country.”

Mullins, who hopes have a full military career, said he was inspired to join by family members who also served their country. “I always looked up to people who were in the military,” he said.

As far as the celebration, Mullins thought something might be up when he got to church and saw a lot of relatives.

“I didn’t know really what was going on. I thought it was going to be a regular Sunday at church.”