Posted on Jan 3, 2015
SSG(P) Instructor
3.25K
11
19
2
2
0
Image
Did both your parents serve?

Why did you decide to serve?

Were you expected to serve?

Do you believe being a military brat had an impact on your career?

Was it positive, or negative?
Avatar feed
Responses: 9
LTC Cavalry Officer
2
2
0
Father served 27+ years including my entire life at home and through college and pre-commissioning; Mom was Army wife.
Not expected to serve, but I loved what I saw and wanted to do the same. I have a brother and sister who didn't go into the military.
Coming into the Army I felt I had a leg up based on my Brat experiences, and having my father to ask questions if has been great! (He gets smarter the older I get.)
I have been compared to him over the years, but that has never been negative.
(2)
Comment
(0)
SSG(P) Instructor
SSG(P) (Join to see)
10 y
Following in the footsteps, can bet either good or bad. Easy or hard. Glad it's been a good thing for you. @LTC J Keith
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
SFC Josh Jackson
2
2
0
Edited 10 y ago
My father was in the Army in the early '60s, and then went full hippie.  As a result, my parents expected me to not serve (they actually talked about ways to fake my death and smuggle me into Canada should they ever reinstate the draft).  Needless to say, my parents were not happy when I announced that I was joining the Army.  But since then they grew to be proud of me.
(2)
Comment
(0)
SSG(P) Instructor
SSG(P) (Join to see)
10 y
SFC Josh Jackson Have you asked him why the about-face? Was it the anti-military climate during and after Vietnam War that left a bad taste in his mouth? Or perhaps the freedom and drug movement of the 60s? That must of been a 'trippy' time to grow up.
(0)
Reply
(0)
SFC Josh Jackson
SFC Josh Jackson
10 y
My dad was the quintessential hippie; smoked pot, lived in Haight-Ashbury, met my mother on a commune, he even knew Janis Joplin (funny story there about shoplifting booze from Safeway). He was older than most of his contemporaries, being in his late twenties near the end of the sixties. After hearing his stories, I confess that I'm a little jealous that I got stuck with the '90s for my twenties.

It was zeitgeist, more than anything. My father was swept up in a cultural movement, and carried many of those beliefs into middle age. It was living in the real world that began to sway him. That, and observing that I had found my niche in the Army.
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
SPC Satcom Systems Operator/Maintainer
1
1
0
Military family all branches, I learned everything from them they didn't want me to join because of everything going on. But to this day are proud I chose to swear the oath and don the uniform and serve the country.
(1)
Comment
(0)
SSG(P) Instructor
SSG(P) (Join to see)
10 y
And so are we, happy you're on board. We fee, we damn few, we band of brothers (and sisters)
(0)
Reply
(0)
MSG Psychological Operations Specialist
MSG (Join to see)
10 y
Military brat no, but my lineage consists of a Korean War vet (grandpa) two great grandparents that served, and three aunts and uncles that served. So is it safe to safe that it runs in our blood to serve?
(0)
Reply
(0)
SPC Satcom Systems Operator/Maintainer
SPC (Join to see)
10 y
It's always great that blood runs deep I see so many from military families who hate military
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.

close