Retired E8-E9, should your status be used as a bully platform?

Never, should that be the case... what you earn is yours alone... your offspring has to earn theirs!

No, no and no. From my point of view they are already under enough pressure not to screw up. Personally I know my Son would not have it, even thought having served for 30 years I know my way around the system very well. Sad to say, I've seen many counterparts trying to influence the system in their kids behalf, both in the enlisted and particularly officer side. Their parents actions caused more problems than helped the junior service member as eventually the word gets out regarding the special treatment if any.

No, just no!

Personally I believe every person entering the military should be treated fairly and the same. It shouldn't take a Drill SGT long to determine the strengths/weaknesses of the recruits in his platoon.
A number of years ago there were incidents in the Officer Corps where parental meddling caused BIG
problems for the officers involved and their service branch. A number of years ago a young female 1LT was selected to be the first female pilot trained to fly the B-52 bomber. Her future career might have included STARS had she not let her ego and a swelled head trip her up. She developed a close, personal relationship with a male civilian who worked for the AF at her base. Okay, so-what!? The
guy was married to a female enlisted member at the same base. The EM first told her husband and
then the Pilot to END IT! The female Pilot wouldn't give IT UP. It was on record the APs were called
to the Pilot's quarters over domestic disturbances (between Pilot & Civ.). The female EM tried to keep the problem "In family". She wanted the relationship ended but didn't want anyone's career hurt. The Pilot and Civ. must have swallowed magnets. They couldn't/wouldn't stay away from each other!
The EM finally went to her Senior NCO. This is when things heated up. The Pilot case went to a Courts Martial and her Dear Old Dad, a retired AF COL stood behind her by hiring lawyers. It went
to the female pilot. It ended when the Sec. of the AF (a female) had to step in. Can't remember the
type of Discharge the Pilot finally accepted but it wasn't Honorable. The Navy has had problems also.

I'd love to know the outcome of this. Personally, my own father is too passive-aggressive to outright meddle, but he did try to influence my decisions by nagging at me a lot.

well, this is....Interesting. it is obviously a fellow RP member. but that is irrelevant. The answer is quite obvious, absolutely not. You do not piss in anothers yard, ever. second, they are retired, as in, no longer holding an active rank in the military, so, that former NCO can pound sand. You 1SG, are in charge of personnel for your company, and as such, have the special trust and confidence of the nation to prepare your troops to fight and win on the battlefield. If that means the retiree's son has to deploy, then that is what is going to happen. To the Senior NCO Retiree, thank you for your service, but do not meddle in anothers chicken coop, as you know damn well how you would react if an outside SNCO got all up in your business.

No. I graduated from Infantry OCS with the son of a four star general. He told his son that he was on his own and not to depend on his Dad's rank to get him out of any situations. John went though Airborne School and was sent to Vietnam and served with the 82nd, which was his father's old unit. Unfortunately John died in a sky diving accident.

Never ran into that sort of issue until I went on Drill Sergeant duty. Occasionally we would get phone calls from both active duty and retired senior NCOs whose sons were going through basic training. They would normally state they were going to be on post for an unrelated duty but were wanting to "stop by and observe training". They were all given the same response that no one was allowed to observe training. The majority were understanding and accepting of the fact. A few wanted to push the issue and were given the name and number of our BN Commander. I don't recall him ever accommodating them either.

Wow, that question-rant begs an explanation of the story behind it. From the way it was phrased, I suspect you handled it with professionalism and integrity.

Hell no it shouldn't!! I'll tell you one thing thou, I any E-8 or E-9 ever tried to pull his rank on me in my company AO he would be in for one hell-of-a surprise. We would go head to head toe to toe over this!