It's been a little busy around here... 13 days ago, he graduated from high school. 4 days ago, we celebrated his accomplishments and his future endeavors. 2 days ago, he swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. 1 day ago, we watched him get on the airplane for Basic Training. Today, I miss him. I can't describe the pride I have, knowing that he could have done anything with his life, yet he chose to defend my freedoms. That instead of hanging out with his multitude of friends for the summer and attending college classes this fall, that he set his goal and followed it, steadfast. Before he left, he took time away from his friends (at his party) to make sure that I knew how to shoot his shotgun.
He will be FINE!! Tracy Im sure that he is happy he has made you PROUD few of these, when he gets back eh?
Why do the kid's have to grow up so quick? Looks like you did a really good job, bringing that young man up. Thank you, and thank your son. Tony. BTW., I served 10years and loved it all, if he doesn't yet know what MOS he should go for, tell him that all are okay as long as you can ride to work and back and you don't have to man carry all of the equipment that they give you.
Hey Tony these days you pick your MOS when you enlist, sometimes they change the specific aspect on you in your field but you are still in your chosen MOS. I was 11bravo in the Army Nat. Guard and was already assigned to a specific guard unit so they could not change my specifics but when I got to basic in 1994 or as the army was calling it then osut (one station unit training) the regular army recruits on our first day down range (out of reception and at a regular training unit) were assigned different specifics like 11H or 11M, 11c etc. (dragon gunner,mechanized bradley, mortars,etc.) unless they had an airborne contract then they had to remain 11bravo. A lot of guys were confused or pissed that day I remember. Everyone of them wanted to be a bravo and now some of them learned they would be slinging around mortar tubes or changing tracks on a bradley. So if he's already at basic then he's already in his MOS.
Sorry Tracy, I don't mean to kidnap the thread, and just hope that you can learn from some of my mistakes. Maybe he can do a deal if he re-up's. Wow, I still remember doing the selection course in Yorkshire and having passed the test and knowing that there were only so many slots to be filled, and my surname begins with W so I was the last one in to be interviewed by a rather elderly Major who chatted to me about what I wanted to do in the Army, he explained that all of the Airborne slots were filled for the next few intakes and to be quite frank with my test results I would be wasted on them, he then went on to offer me all sorts of jobs, one of which was Armor, which I jumped at, oh to be so young and perpetually stupid, if I was doing the interview today I would have chosen something that was more career orientated, ie something that would have prepared me for life after the Army. Guess you live and learn, never have driven or crewed a Tank since. Tony
He will be a grand soldier Tracy, Don't worry. God watches out for the good guys, remember that. He has my respect and thanks God Bless you and your family. CBMS
Thank you for all of your kind sentiments. He will be what he makes himself. I just hope for the best. @ young and perpetually stupid. Wouldn't life be grand if we all knew it all just like when we were teenagers?
I wish I was as smart now as I was when I was 18. I've told my Dad many times that he didn't know $#!+ when I was young, but he has wised up nicely over the years. I wish your son all the best. OGM
good luck to him, it's still a wonderfull thing to see young people willing to take a stand when so many just sit around at home and whine about how unfair life is... congradulations and best wishes
It didn't seem like it was that long ago he was born. 6 more yrs. and another will be ready to leave the nest. It's kinda weird not having him around or just a phone call away. One thing is certain though, I will not miss the interaction with his mother/my ex-wife that's for sure. As far as his MOS goes, he chose Military Intelligence 35M. I've done a lot of research to find out exactly what his job entails on Discussion Forums military related. Found out his MOS has an almost 100% chance of not being stationed CONUS. So we won't know for about 9 months where he will be stationed or what unit he is attached to.
We had some stationed down the road from where I reside in Bad, sorry I can't tell you..... They were great, as a going away party they organized a Military skills competition for us old salts, there were people from all over, US., Austria Switzerland, Germany (of course) Holland (winning team) Italy. What a brilliant weekend that was, I would do it all again, I entered a team, another Ex-British army bloke and an American guy who'd been in the Navy. well come the day of the testing and reporting for the course, they had dropped out, (found themselves in my people trash can, unreliable & untrustworthy). I ended up running a team of a girl from work who was a medic in The German Army and she threw her plans for the weekend in the can in ten minutes of me telling her what we would be doing, another German Bloke whose team had left him in the lurch for one reason or another, ex-German army diver and medic, he was probably better qualified to run the team, and helped me loads. We did okay, didn't finish in the first 10 but we weren't last either. I miss having them stationed just down the road...... Tony