Do you or did you expect your children to join the military?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 21:06:09 -0500

Did your children join the military? Same Branch as you or different?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2020 9:10 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 21:10:56 -0500

My father and five uncles were in the Navy and two other uncles were in the Marines. So of course I joined the Army!!!

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Mar 3 at 2020 9:21 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 21:21:15 -0500

I do not expect my children to enlist or pursue a commission in the Armed Forces. I want them to choose their own path for their own reasons, not to give me a warm fuzzy. I am content with them living successfully in whatever they choose.

Although I would be honored to swear them in, it is not about me, it's about them. My oldest has elected not to serve as she starts college in the fall. My youngest is still undecided.

I would want them to choose the branch that best suits them if they did elect to serve. Also they have nothing to prove with me, Enlisted or Commissioned.

Response by SGT Robert Pryor made Mar 3 at 2020 9:25 PM

SGT Robert Pryor — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 21:25:35 -0500

I had no expectations, one way or the other. I left it up to my children to make that decision. So far, only one of my children joined the military -- five did not. My youngest son wanted to join the Army, like his old man, but the Army rejected him. So he joined the Air Force, who had lower standards at the time, and retired after 23 years. My youngest daughter, now 15, wants to join the military and is currently leaning towards the Army. Her plans are solid, but she wants to get her Bachelors degree first, so a lot of things could change over the next six or seven years.

Response by SPC Diana D. made Mar 3 at 2020 9:31 PM

SPC Diana D. — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 21:31:38 -0500

I had hoped that they would but I did not push them in any way. My son joined the Marine Corps out of high school and my daughter decided she wanted to go into the Air Force when she was thirty!!! I am one proud Mama!! Our whole family is military oriented.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Mar 3 at 2020 9:52 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 21:52:37 -0500

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2020 11:19 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 23:19:51 -0500

That decision is theirs to make. I can only give them my advice...the good, the bad, and the ugly. Regardless, I love and support them.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Mar 4 at 2020 6:06 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 06:06:36 -0500

My son opted not to join the military, he sign the selective service card out, he decided to take the path of being a mechanical engineer, has a great job with a nuclear power plant, grandson is eyeballing the military though, he has 5 years to go to fully decide. I joined because of military in our family.

Response by LCDR Joshua Gillespie made Mar 4 at 2020 7:55 AM

LCDR Joshua Gillespie — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 07:55:04 -0500

No. I'm proud of my service; I am also very glad I cannot go back in time to the age of seventeen, knowing what I know now...and face that decision all over again. At the very least, I would've done things very differently; it's entirely possible I would've chosen a different path altogether.

What concerns me more, is that my son may grow up seeing only one "side" of my service, that of his grandfather, and his great-grandfather before that. If he chooses to follow in those footsteps, I'll face a very complicated decision on just how much 'reality' to pass on to him.

Response by SGT Matthew S. made Mar 4 at 2020 8:16 AM

SGT Matthew S. — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 08:16:39 -0500

That will be their choice. If they consider it I will try to help them make an informed decision, but ultimately it's up to them and I will be proud of them either way.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2020 8:51 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 08:51:20 -0500

Expect? Not at all. My son was talking about joining the Army in high school. I tried to steer him to the Air Force, haha. So, as a 17 yr old that knew everything, he joined the Army. Hahaha. We were actually stationed together for a while at JBLM before i PCS'd to Germany. Before i got back from Germany he decided it wasn't for him. Hahahaha. My daughters have absolutely no desire whatsoever to join any branch and im perfectly fine with that.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2020 8:51 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 08:51:26 -0500

Never pushed. My oldest son is medically DQed. My daughter served 6 years with the ARNG. We actually deployed together my last trip to Iraq. I was BN S4 and she wound up splitting duty with an E7 as BN S2 after our S2 CPT pissed off the old man and got sent to DIV HQ to shuffle papers.

Response by SFC Allen Murphy made Mar 4 at 2020 10:10 AM

SFC Allen Murphy — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 10:10:44 -0500

I did not expect them to. My oldest did and I wasn't surprised. He did 6 years as a 15W UAS Operator and learned a valuable skill along with two deployments. He's been out for a couple of years now and currently works as a civilian contractor UAS Operator with overseas assignments and getting paid 4 times as much.

Response by SPC Wendy Parsons made Mar 4 at 2020 11:51 AM

SPC Wendy Parsons — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 11:51:57 -0500

My eleven year old wants to join the Army. My husband, also an Army vet, at bedtime would read all types of books on tanks to her since she was little. He has an amazing selection of models so he would take them down as they read about that specific tank. Now she decided she really wants to be a K-9 MP. I would be proud if either daughter ended up joining, preferably the Army, but really any branch, but only if that is what they want. I just want them to be happy with their career.

Response by SPC Robert Bobo made Mar 4 at 2020 1:36 PM

SPC Robert Bobo — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 13:36:19 -0500

My youngest was joining the Marines ( I was army) with several of his Hockey teammates and ended up in Law Enforcement instead 13 years ago, he is now a detective however, what he has to deal with and see day in day out is horrific

Response by PO1 Orlando Miller made Mar 4 at 2020 2:27 PM

PO1 Orlando Miller — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 14:27:10 -0500

I retired Navy. I have one son serving in the Georgia Air National Guard and the other is in the Army Reserve. Proud of them both.....

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2020 5:36 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 17:36:08 -0500

My daughter is a transplant recipient and only has one kidney. I'm so glad she can't join the Army. Nothing against it (since I'm obviously in) but I just think there's something else out there for her to do she'd be better suited to.

I never thought I would join the Army actually. Nor any of my siblings but my oldest brother did 3 years active, 3 Reserve. First younger brother is NG. He's going on 17 years, I'm going on 16.

Response by SSG Harry Herres made Mar 4 at 2020 6:32 PM

SSG Harry Herres — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 18:32:47 -0500

I joined against the Col.s Orders to complete college first. Joining up is up to the individual. However I do expect my 4 daughters and 9 grandkid to respect those who have or are serving. They do!

Response by SCPO Jason McLaughlin made Mar 5 at 2020 6:43 AM

SCPO Jason McLaughlin — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 06:43:45 -0500

I would prefer my children not enlist or commission in the Armed Services. I am 4th generation military, with Family service all the way back to WWI. I lost a cousin very close to me in Iraq in 2003. My family has earned its citizenship. I would prefer my children be able to pursue other interests. If either of them expressed a desire to serve, I would support it, but would try to steer them to commission in either the Navy, Air Force, or Space Force.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 5 at 2020 11:48 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 11:48:53 -0500

No, i would probably steer them away from it.

Response by Cpl Tou Lee Yang made Mar 5 at 2020 3:36 PM

Cpl Tou Lee Yang — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 15:36:19 -0500

My wife's son joined the Marine Corps after contemplating on joining the Army. He went infantry although I told him not to do it. He's in SOI right now and looks like he has a change of heart, I told him to suck it up and be content with his decision. And next time when I tell him something, it's because I already know the path.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Apr 28 at 2020 3:58 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 15:58:00 -0400

SSG Private RallyPoint Member Nope Son has Legg Calve Perthes so it is Medically a No Go and My Daughter having grown up with a Dad who was a Navy Spook and Gone Most of the Time decided She is Not Into that but Damned If She Didn't get Hitched to a Sailor. LOL! She has already made it Abundantly clear there is No Way in Hell Her Daughters are Joining either. Now Her Youngest, My Oldest Grandson wants to, She said that is Fine when He's Old Enough.