The Briseno family was due for a good week, and they got one. First, Joseph "Jay" Briseno Jr. was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his military service in Iraq, a point of pride for a family with a military tradition. "It means a lot to us, because he's a hero," said Jay's father, Joseph Briseno, a retired military man himself. But the real milestone came three days later, when Jay took a major step toward life without a feeding tube.