Son's new career path, pretty proud father

[Sigarms]

Because I don't have much talent, I've always like this one

 

[Torvy]

Someone (Eddie) mentioned persistence…

Persistence – A Quote by Calvin Coolidge​

Nothing in the world
can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not;
nothing is more common than
unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not;
unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not;
The world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination
alone are omnipotent.
The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved
and always will solve
the problems of
the human race

One of the most underrated presidents.

 

[kozal01]

I commend anyone that volunteers to serve this country, we need more kids like him more than ever. Kudos to him and God speed!

SGT, US Army 03-09

 

[mjonesnh]

Sigarms, thank you for posting this thread. Took me back 9 years to when I took my son to be sworn in to the USAF in Nashville, TN. Almost 9 years later, my son is a Master Seargent in the Air Force with 1 year spent in South Korea. Please, thank your son for me for his sacrifice and commitment to our country. Our armed forces men and women give their best effort everyday to protect all of us from those that wish to do our country harm

 

[Wagtail]

Congratulations to your Son, Sigarms.

 

[JPRambo]

My Grandson enlisted in the AF in August. He tried to get into the Army (RAMBO) but they kept delaying and wanting more paperwork and info etc, etc, etc.. He could not get into the AF until picking an AFSC (MOS). We went to San Antonio to see him graduate basic training. He went to Biloxi for schooling.

 

[Sigarms]

My Grandson enlisted in the AF in August. He tried to get into the Army (RAMBO) but they kept delaying and wanting more paperwork and info etc, etc, etc.. He could not get into the AF until picking an AFSC (MOS). We went to San Antonio to see him graduate basic training. He went to Biloxi for schooling.

From start to finish, it was a very long process for our son as well (and believe me, my wife and I were scratching our heads on all the paperwork). The process doesn't seem anything at all as to what it was in the 80's.

Ironcially our son didn't have to pick a MOS (have to get used to "AFSC") but he did have to pick 3 AFSC's. My understanding is that it is during basic they will go over with him in some fashion to see what will work best (for him or the AF? I'm not certain). My dad passed away last year, but I gave him the same advice my dad gave me when it came to military recruiters.

My advice to him was if he was serious about staying in, put in your first 4 years, give 130%, treat it as a career and not just a job, and sooner or later you may be able to get into something else if it interests you if you keep your nose clean and do what your told and work well with others (which he's done great on since he started working at 15). I think to many kids want something they really don't know anything about, get it, isn't what was expected and lose interest.

Ironically it does come back to that word "persistent".

If all goes well, we will be in San Antonio in Janaury and can say will look forward to it.

 

[Sigarms]

Sigarms, thank you for posting this thread. Took me back 9 years to when I took my son to be sworn in to the USAF in Nashville, TN. Almost 9 years later, my son is a Master Seargent in the Air Force with 1 year spent in South Korea. Please, thank your son for me for his sacrifice and commitment to our country. Our armed forces men and women give their best effort everyday to protect all of us from those that wish to do our country harm

And thank your son as well.

You must be very proud. Sounds like you son is doing extremely well.

Out of curiosity, is he going for 20?

 

[mjonesnh]

And thank your son as well.

You must be very proud. Sounds like you son is doing extremely well.

Out of curiosity, is he going for 20?

Not really sure if doing 20 or not. His current enlistment will be up in Jan. 2026. That will put him 11 years in service.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

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.

View attachment 833103


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.

View attachment 833104

Thanks for sharing about your son and father.

Joining the Navy in 1973 at the age of 22 was my best career defining move as a poor farm boy.

My parents were smart and hard working Depression Era kids of share croppers.Dad finished the fifth grade and Mom the sixth grade.

In the Navy I realized the officers had better everything yet not always smarter so I decided to use the GI Bill to get one of them there college degree things. Now 50 years later I still put in 10-15 hours most days studying subjects that interests me. That's the best way I know to enhance my bs detector.

It sounds like your father was very influential in your son's life as I expect you are. While I didn't have grand parents in my life I had a neighbor that was an awesome grandpa figure.