Proud and Terrified... My Daughter is enlisting tomorrow!

[No_Regerts]

With those scores, she could easily get an ROTC scholarship. Then she could focus on school get basic out if the way between sophomore and junior year. She could still join the ANG and drill closer to home, considering McChord, PDX, or even Fairchild.

I work with a Trooper who could give her current straight answers on this stuff if you want.

 

[wolfcreed]

Congratulations and best of luck to your daughter, I am sure she will do well. Hand written letters mean a lot while in basic training, so keep'm flowing once she arrives.

 

[Camelfilter]

Congrats @Mygrainman!

 

[RicInOR]

My kids are by far the most important things in my life...
My Daughter... oh my Daughter..
=====%< --- cut

So ya... proud and terrified!

Lifting. Right now get her started lifting heavy things. What ever you have around is fine - ie dog food bags, concrete blocks, engines ....
The endurance is easier to come by; strength is needed for all activities in military.

Young person or not, tell her to take more pictures than she thinks is necessary. Perhaps that is her normal, but for many they regret not having more photos of their mates 20 years down the road.

Congratulations.

 

[teflon6string]

You've got her started down the right road already, good job!

She's got her eyes open and a head on her shoulders, so she'll get the full benefit of intensive training/experience that most civilians can only imagine - AND the education/credentials she'll earn in exchange for commitment and hard work. Trust me, savvy hiring managers will note her service at some point later in life if/when that's the only thing different in a stack of otherwise similar resumes.

Also tell her please, this 20 year veteran says, "Remember to have some fun!"

 

[User 1234]

If there was profit and empire in the wars I was part of, I sure didn't see it. I'm sure that Afghanistan's endless oil fields and shiny infrastructure is the "empire" America was after and not the evil people who planned the murder of three thousand Americans. Yep, we were definitely there for the oil. ( And add some kind of Israeli conspiracy theory to this sarcastic post to make it really robust).

 

[CountryGent]

@Mygrainman, good job, dad! You must be, rightly so, very proud. It sounds like your daughter has a wonderful future ahead of her.

@Neostratos, good God, seriously?

 

[STEELE]

FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD!

 

[best defense]

So yer proud and terrified? Me too!

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I know I'm old fashioned in my thinking, but it just seems odd to me that some young men come along and say, "Thank you for your service."
I say, "You're welcome." While I'm actually thinking You're welcome and now it is your turn. Then these same young men stand by and let women take their place on the front line. It doesn't seem right to me that a beautiful young woman should feel the need to go out and protect the young men in this country while the young men are protesting the fact that our president is taking care of business the way it should be taken care of.

 

[best defense]

If there was profit and empire in the wars I was part of, I sure didn't see it. I'm sure that Afghanistan's endless oil fields and shiny infrastructure is the "empire" America was after and not the evil people who planned the murder of three thousand Americans. Yep, we were definitely there for the oil. ( And add some kind of Israeli conspiracy theory to this sarcastic post to make it really robust).

The profit is rarely if ever seen by the masses. It is reserved for the cloak room and the board room.

 

[User 1234]

Camp Bondsteel is an American heroin smuggling operation? All of my friends who have been stationed there sure would have had a more interesting time if that was true.

 

[Mygrainman]

Congrats to her and her parents!

One question i have..... all the "parachute riggers" that i knew were in a shop packing, checking, repacking parachutes. NOT jumping out of planes.

Does she plan on doing skydiving in her free time?

Part of qualification is jumping...
She has to take a few jumps, as well as jump with a chute she packed herself.
Certainly not every weekend, but a few times.

 

[Mygrainman]

Congrats to her and her parents!

One question i have..... all the "parachute riggers" that i knew were in a shop packing, checking, repacking parachutes. NOT jumping out of planes.

Does she plan on doing skydiving in her free time?

Part of qualification is jumping...
She has to take a few jumps, as well as jump with a chute she packed herself.
Certainly not every weekend, but a few times.

With those scores, she could easily get an ROTC scholarship. Then she could focus on school get basic out if the way between sophomore and junior year. She could still join the ANG and drill closer to home, considering McChord, PDX, or even Fairchild.

I work with a Trooper who could give her current straight answers on this stuff if you want.

She's going to college atCentral WA, and weekend drills are in Yakima.. so she will not have to go far at all. She has it all figured out...
After the first Three if she's not burned out she will re-enlist and go into Human Intelligence. And look into CIA or some such

 

[Howard1955]

My kids are by far the most important things in my life...
My Daughter... oh my Daughter..

She is absolutely beautiful, just turned 18(born on THE 9/11) she is a senior in High School, Captain of the Color Guard/Drill/dance team, straight As, and has rare determination...and with that comes an extreme stubbornness.
The day she turned 18 she registered to vote, and made a list of everything she needed to do to be a responsible adult and get ready for college.
She plans on attending Central next fall to study nutrition... has already taken her SATs, and is taking some classes at the community college next term to get a head start. she knows things are tight for us, and she figured she would take it upon herself to find a way to pay for college on her own,and sat down with the National Guard recruiter at school a couple weeks ago. He laid out all the benefits, which of course were exactly what she was looking for, and long story short... she took the ASVAB. She was hoping to get over 70... but scored in the high 80s... of course this made her even more excited to join, because she now qualified for any job she wanted... but ultimately she landed on parachute rigger so she can jump out of airplanes on the weekends to offset the boring nutrition related courses she'll be taking for the next couple years.(definitely my kid!)
Her new goal is to "become 150lbs of dont f*** with me" and she figures going through boot camp will help achieve that.
I am VERY proud of her and support her 100%, but can't help but wonder if this is the best path for her...
on one hand she, nor I, will have to worry about paying for her school... but it's a 3 year commitment with the possibility of getting called to serve if war happens.
So by the time her 3 years is up... she'll have her associates degree, and at that point she can decide if she wants to peruse the exciting field of nutrition, or re-enlist and use that high asvab score to go into a field that would line up with one of the 3 letter agencies as an intelligence agent....a second option if she decides nutrition/dietician isn't for her.

So ya... proud and terrified!

Congratulations, Dad. She sounds great!

 

[nwslopoke]

Congratulations for maintaining a solid relationship and giving a solid citizen to the world.

From what I remember, get it in writing someplace or it doesn't matter what was promised. Asked for all bonues and rank before you swear in the day you leave MEPS or whatever they call it these days.

Volunteer only for the things you want to do. There is no shiny nickel waiting for you. It might give you some leadership skills or more likely a face full of DI for someone else's screw up. Finally, go to church Sundays whether you are a believer or not. You get at least half a day of freedom.

 

[User 1234]

I heard the "Nasty Girl" insults and National Guard put downs, in various countries, even when I was on active duty for years doing back to back OEF deployments. Then some active duty troops (the ones who didn't PT, had bad attitudes, and probably some NJP stories) would get offended that we out performed them. The high speed active duty troops would welcome us into their fold because we could deliver and that is all that mattered. When I transferred into the Reserves that mindset was present too.
The NG does often have funding challenges, that is true. It is also more difficult to find promotion billets. Promotions are also based more on the "good ole boy network" in the NG compared to the Reserve and active duty.
There are many things she may not have considered, such as some of the field specialities in the Air Force that provide better pay (more available slots at higher ranks) better equipment, and less verbal abuse, but if she already has her mind made up then I wish her the best.

 

[User 1234]

To get back on topic, it is great that MyGrainMan's daughter is choosing to volunteer for the military unlike many others who don't, and it is great that her dad is rightfully proud of her.

 

[eldbillbo]

Raising kids like her you are indeed worthy of your avatar.

 

[Flymph]

Good on your daughter, it's a smart move!
I hope she gets all she wants out of the experience! She sounds like a real go-getter!

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

So yer proud and terrified? Me too!

***************************************************************************************************************************
I know I'm old fashioned in my thinking, but it just seems odd to me that some young men come along and say, "Thank you for your service."
I say, "You're welcome." While I'm actually thinking You're welcome and now it is your turn. Then these same young men stand by and let women take their place on the front line. It doesn't seem right to me that a beautiful young woman should feel the need to go out and protect the young men in this country while the young men are protesting the fact that our president is taking care of business the way it should be taken care of.

That mentality should have faded with gender equality. Women are capable individuals.. There are many roles in the armed serviced that are not directly combat oriented but merely logistical. Besides, the armed services have recently spent millions of dollars in advertising in 2019 specifically targeting females.. Ive seen about 7 commercials for various branches recently with females being the primary focus.
I get the whole now its your turn.. but the white knighting for females in this modern era is unnecessary as its something equality has fought for. To keep them pigeonholed in a certain role is the opposite of equality. They fought for it, let them have it. YMMV