If your son or daughter, who is serving, asks your opinion about volunteering to go into harms way, what would tell them?

I think it is something they need to be committed to and have researched thoroughly to make sure it is the right decision for them and they are doing it for the right reasons. I would suppoort their decision either way. By the way I've had to already do that with two daughters.

As a father of three, I totally understand why my mother cried when the recruiter came to the door for parental consent. My father told her, "Go ahead and sign it, dear. You're only delaying the inevitable." My parents gave me something that I hope to pass along to my kids: Total Love & Support.

Been there done that with my step-son. He was a SrA at the time when we were together in Afghanistan. He's a loadmaster(1A2X1) and had his C-130J peppered a few times from ground fire.

Obviously for security reasons, he couldn't tell me exactly where and when his mission were but did let me know he was safe where ever he was. He's a SSgt now, raising a wonderful family overseas.