Son's new career path, pretty proud father

[Sigarms]

He may need a good mentor. I can't recall the term they use right now, but sometimes below the zone promotions are easier when you check the right boxes.

Let me know if he ever gets to Wright-Patt. My brother is a high level civilian there (retired Major O-4).

We're heading up there next weekend for Oktoberfest.

He seems to have a good grasp on what is needed on his end if he wants to try to make the Air Force a career along with where he should be in another 4 years to see if he wants to stay in at that point.

He had a good mentor when he first arrived at his duty station, a Sgt who was basically his boss, but he moved onto another assignment on the base so they don't work together anymore. His current supervisor likes to micro manage, but luckily he was use to those types when he worked in high school and he knows how to go with the flow. He's very happy for some of the commendations he received even though he didn't get the BTZ early promotion, but in my mind, what was more important is that some time ago he was the first NCO that got keys. That tells me that they trust him in his job and work ethic.

I think I might have mentioned it, but when he enlisted his recruiter set him up on a "open ended enlistment" of some sort where he really didn't have a choice what MOS he was going to be given (his first two recruiters went by pretty fast as recruiters), and it seemed a good recruiter didn't get in until after he was trying to get his RAPS time approved, and it was the 3rd recruiter who he didn't help in RAPS that finally got the time taken care of... However, instead of getting pissed off and angry over getting a job he really didn't want, he's been giving it 100% and seems to be making more and more friends on base. I'm kicking myself over not asking more questions when he enlisted, but when he tells me he's got something, I'm leaving him go until he decides to ask for help.

 

[ultrarunner]

When my cousin was drafted they were given an assessment and he said he was very much s farm kid were they raised their own fowl, pork and beef…

The short of it is he became a cook… never did he think about being a cook but turned out he enjoyed it and it came with a lot of freedom….

 

[MossRoad]

When my cousin was drafted they were given an assessment and he said he was very much s farm kid were they raised their own fowl, pork and beef…

The short of it is he became a cook… never did he think about being a cook but turned out he enjoyed it and it came with a lot of freedom….

My cousin was a union carpenter when he got drafted... they made him a cook.

 

[MossRoad]

For that matter, my father in-law enlisted when he was 17 for WWII, they made him a cook, too.

 

[MossRoad]

OP, congrats on you son.

 

[Sigarms]

My cousin was a union carpenter when he got drafted... they made him a cook.

Son really wanted to become a auto mechanic in the service. The job he got however actually has some very practical use in the civilian world and he realized it pretty quickly. Besides that, he gets to carry a sidearm on some jobs, and he's not in security forces (old AKA air police) and bottom line, thinks it's cool (his mom gets on him on all the opportunities he had to shoot with me and he never really was into guns growing up).

That said, one reason why the guys like him is he helps everyone with the cars. Since he'll be away for a while, he sold his mustang (ALWAYS working on it adding new crap onto it LOL) because he can't take it with him and he's banking his money now.

He sends me this pic of a guy wishing him a happy birthday. Thing is the other guy doesn't really know how to change his tire. I had to ask my son why HE is changing someone else's tire and he explained to me that he doesn't mind getting the practice in on changing tires on different vehicles and he gets to use his tools. He went with the same guy when he traded the vehicle on a different vehicle to go over mechanically with him. They really do seem to be good friends.

This is one aspect where he made friends with his old Sgt. Sgt has a family and lives off base. Airman are not allowed to work on their own vehicles on base and off their dorms, so he started working with his Sgt on his family vehicles at his house because he's allowed to do so, then started taking his car over there to do work. He's just bummed because I bought him an electric ratchet for his birthday and he's really not using it right now LOL

 

[Sigarms]

OP, congrats on you son.

Thank you. Honestly I can tend to over compensate with him due to my other son who passed. I'm just happy that this one is doing well IMO.

 

[ultrarunner]

My uncle became lifelong friends with his marine Sargent for decades until the Sargent passed away…

Military bonds can last a lifetime and even more today with technology..

It wasn’t all that long ago letters were the only economical way to stay in touch and now 19 year olds are on different continents easily stay in touch.

 

[Sigarms]

My uncle became lifelong friends with his marine Sargent fit decades until the Sargent passed away…

Military bonds can last a lifetime and even more today with technology..

It wasn’t all that long ago letters were the only economical way to stay in touch and now 19 year olds are on different continents easily stay in touch.

The one thing that has impressed me with the military is my sons understanding of what can be and what can't be used per his cell phone.

Sad reality is they don't teach cursive in school anymore (may not be a bad thing with my own handwriting LOL) and most kids have no clue how to write a check.

 

[ultrarunner]

In property management it’s almost all gone to direct transfer for rents… still have a senior paying cash with written receipt and another thst mails a check… no one under 50 pays rent with a check is what I’m finding.

I just started writing more checks for business expenses… the online payments during Covid meant extra steps for accounting at least for me…

A cancelled check has saved me several times over the years…

Many places here no longer accept cash at all like Fast Food… they say it has greatly reduced risk of robbery…