Son's new career path, pretty proud father

[Sigarms]

Well, at age 19, he's finally out of the home!!

In all honesty, pretty proud of him as well as all the young people in the pic below.

He's done well for himself, started working at age 15, saves and buys what he wants with his own money. Honestly, don't think he's ever asked a buck from me growing up once he had a job. He does have my fathers and I work eithic.

MEP's and the enlistment "process" really seems to have changed from the 80's. Until his ship date (yesterday) he had to keep his recruiter informed if he got married or had any children (a LOT of checking in).

Although I'm proud of him, I'm just as proud as my father. My father lived with us the last 4 years of his life. He and my son were two peas in a pod together when dad was living with us.

When we drove our son down to Charlotte Sunday night, my wife was getting on him because he was taking a small "carry on" bag instead of a small back pack he has used for hiking in the past. She told him that small back pack would work a lot better in a airport than that small bag he was taking. My wife informed me that it hit her that night that the bag our son was taking was the bag that my father had given him.

Needless to say, it's my fathers footsteps that my son wants to follow, not mine, but just as proud.

I had to burry my dad last year, never got to see his grave site as the cemetary was putting him on top of my mother. My one uncle died this year and I went to his funeral in part because he was being burried in the same cemetary as my father and I could visit my parents gravesite.

Below, the man who influenced my son so much telling him stories of the world he saw when he was a younger man during his lifelong committment to the military (removed his name as I don't like posting family info online, I'm old like that).

Both my wife and I agreed that my father was smiling down from Heaven.

 

[Hay Dude]

That’s terrific. We need to reemphasize patriotism and service to the country. It has been lost in many ways. Hope it goes well for him.

My nephew is in Electronics Warfare in the Navy

 

[shooterdon]

Great post!!!

 

[Yander]

Good story. Happy for your son.

 

[newbury]

What is going to be his specialty (MOS)?

 

[Torvy]

Nice post, sig.

Our dads had similar lives. A chance they may have crossed paths in the USAF. Same age. Mine was in Korea and Viet Nam, too.

Thank your son for his service. Recruitment is down, perhaps that will help his future opportunities!

 

[sea2summit]

Congrats Sig, that’s awesome.

 

[Sigarms]

What is going to be his specialty (MOS)?

This is where it gets weird. At this point, he has his "picks" per what he qualifies for, but apparently nothing is written in stone as to exactly what he gets, and exactly where he goes per MOS will in part be determined how he does in basic and schooling (or so I've been told).

It seems the Air Force is nothing like the the Army from the 80's. Air Force doesn't use the term "MOS'.

My advice to him was to give 130% during basic, that this was his job and to give it everything he has if he truly wants this to be his career. After that, the chips fall into place per his performance.

Given his work history and how he moved up in the "ranks" at work when he was 15 through 19 years old in age, I'm pretty certain he will do OK.

He's had 3 jobs to prepare himself. Some jobs he had horrendous managers who lacked common sense and some he had great managers that motivated him. Although the military is a different animal vs civilian world, in the end, people are no different in jobs in the Miltary vs the civilian world for the most part.

Each job he had he moved up in position per responsibilities, and he never quit. Always gave two weeks notice and worked when he was moving to another job.

He also read some of my fathers records from the early 50's and how my dad moved up in the ranks because he gave 130% and people liked working with him (for the most part, my son doesn't know this, but at the end of my dads career he got busted in rank because he didn't care if he did what he thought was right LOL)

Even today at my own job today, we have people who text the operations manager to inform him they quit that same day, no notice, no nothing. How do you expect to build a list of references like that?

 

[Sigarms]

Top pic taken in 2011 on our way back from a Vermont trip and saw my dad in Pa on the way back to NC in 2011.

Bottom pic taken in 2019 when my dad was living with us and dad driving him to work because he (my son) was still working on his learners permit at the time.

 

[ultrarunner]

It was great you were able to take that family trip and have that time together...

My understanding is ROTC operates in a much reduced capacity with some schools no longer participating around here.

Several of our Doctors have kids that enlisted and did well plus we have nurses that were able to become licensed RNs through military service.

The SF Bay Area is so different compared to Washington State where the military presence is huge.

Congratulations

 

[Sigarms]

It was great you were able to take that family trip and have that time together...

My understanding is much of ROTC operates in a much reduced capacity with some schools no longer participating around here.

Several of our Doctors have kids that enlisted and did well plus we have nurse that were able to become licensed RN through military service.

The SF Bay Area is so different compared to my time in Washington State where the military is a huge presence...

COMPLETELY agree about the trip. He loved it (furthest outside our state he ever traveled).

For a kid who never liked to get his hands dirty, he also bowled me over when when he started working on his own car and I had some joy in buying him tools that he didn't ask for because we were tired of him borrowing ours and he was to cheap to buy them himself.

One of the highlights on that trip to the west coast for himself was all the cars he got to see in Monterey and Carmel. He mentioned he never saw so many foreign cars in his life LOL

He also bowled us over when he said he would like to jump out of an airplane (never got to it as he wanted when he was working, but he will see if that's a possiblity later). His mother would however prefer he stays on the ground.

Funny thing, he was never interested in ROTC in high school, but about 2 years ago when he was a junior was certain this is what he wanted to do.

My parents always instilled in me to move away from them and create my own life and to see the world on my own. We kind of did the same thing for our son.

 

[dodge man]

Great story, best of luck to him. He’s a touch taller in the second picture.

 

[woody]

I'll have to admit that first picture and story brought a proud tear to my eye and I have to agree with Dude more Patriotism needs to be taught in our country.

 

[ultrarunner]

Sometimes I have to look really hard to find a domestic car when out and about…

On the flip side some foreign have more domestic parts than domestic.

The SF greater Bay Area still has Air Force so never know he could come back on Uncle Sam’s dime?

 

[scootr]

My nephew joined the Navy this year.
It's been a life changing experience for a troubled kid.
Brother is a very proud papa.

 

[Sigarms]

Sometimes I have to look really hard to find a domestic car when out and about…

On the flip side some foreign have more domestic parts than domestic.

The SF greater Bay Area still has Air Force so never know he could come back on Uncle Sam’s dime?

He's covered his Mercedes in the drivway. I have been given explicit rules on when I can start it up to run the engine LOL

Please don't take this the wrong way, but unless you have money to burn, a Mercedes should never be your primary car when it comes to service parts LOL My son even mentioned that aftermarket parts (on what he can find) for the car cost more than the factory parts. As I've admitted, never into cars like he is at his age.

Being he is our only son now, we've told him to settle down anywhere out west or down south. Anything remotely bordering Canada will be a struggle on our end.

Besides that, even if it is Cali, my wife has told me there is no reason to have more than 5 guns in the house when we move.

 

[Engineer42]

Proud moments. Hope he does well.
Hmm, 5, now which 5? Does the garage count as part of the house, lol?

 

[Rockbadchild]

I am happy that you are happy and wish him all the best....

Genuinely curious here, my question to you or any parents who child choose a military path would be how do you feel and prepare him for the risk and potential repercussion of that life? are you pushing for him to opt for a safe career path within the army ? dose he have a path plan?

I am not advocating for discouragement, only for proper preparedness.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Proud moments. Hope he does well.
Hmm, 5, now which 5? Does the garage count as part of the house, lol?

No, a house has habitable rooms. So a garage is outside the house???!!!

 

[Sigarms]

I am happy that you are happy and wish him all the best....

Genuinely curious here, my question to you or any parents who child choose a military path would be how do you feel and prepare him for the risk and potential repercussion of that life? are you pushing for him to opt for a safe career path within the army ? dose he have a path plan?

I am not advocating for discouragement, only for proper preparedness.

At some point in time, you need to make your own decisions and live your own life.

No matter what path you choose, there could be repercussions even in the civilian world.

I've honestly believed my entire life that the military is a great opportunity for people if you can contribute (no different than the civilian world IMO).

I was diassapointed in that my son chose the Air Force and not the Army, but I can live with it because he wants to follow my father.

My father grew up in a dirt poor family that were coal miners that came off the boat in the early 1900's. After 20 plus years in the Air Force along with working as a civilian for another 30 years plus (only part time after age 76 LOL) he made a good life for himself because he and my mom knew how to save.

End of the day, I also honestly believe in madatory military service for our country, but I know that will never happen. I'm just glad I never had to sell my son on it.