A significant event in this old cranium's life
- Thread starter Bullet
- Start date
Ohio2015Parent
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2010
- Messages
- 1,122
The new avatar photos are AMAZING. Thank you for sharing them.
Pima
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2007
- Messages
- 13,900
gojira,
Believe it or not some of those shots were taken by a poster I met on this site back on 07. He was in from MI for the USNA grad., and blessed us with joining us for DS's commissioning.
That's the thing people don't understand about a site like this, the life of the military is very unique, and bonds are created through here because you both get the emotional rollercoaster ride that many of your friends and family will never completely comprehend.
Since joining this site. Bullet and I have met posters in person from this site.
Bullet has been honored by commissioning a poster from here at the AFA, back in 2010. He has become a part of our family, and I mean he acts like a sibling to them as if he was blood....especially taunting and teasing DD. We joke about how next yr Bullet and I will have 2 DS's at LAFB in UPT.
Never in 07 did I imagine that a poster would care enough about my child to take time out of his day (almost an entire day) to be there with us.
This site is like the military. The more you give to it, the more you will receive from it in return.
Bullet said it the best at DS's commissioning luncheon, we have been blessed with 2 families, our blood family and our military family, and sometimes they blend into 1 family.
Believe it or not some of those shots were taken by a poster I met on this site back on 07. He was in from MI for the USNA grad., and blessed us with joining us for DS's commissioning.
That's the thing people don't understand about a site like this, the life of the military is very unique, and bonds are created through here because you both get the emotional rollercoaster ride that many of your friends and family will never completely comprehend.
Since joining this site. Bullet and I have met posters in person from this site.
Bullet has been honored by commissioning a poster from here at the AFA, back in 2010. He has become a part of our family, and I mean he acts like a sibling to them as if he was blood....especially taunting and teasing DD. We joke about how next yr Bullet and I will have 2 DS's at LAFB in UPT.
Never in 07 did I imagine that a poster would care enough about my child to take time out of his day (almost an entire day) to be there with us.
This site is like the military. The more you give to it, the more you will receive from it in return.
Bullet said it the best at DS's commissioning luncheon, we have been blessed with 2 families, our blood family and our military family, and sometimes they blend into 1 family.
hockeypals
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2010
- Messages
- 38
Your posts brought tears to my eyes. Congratulations on this wonderful moment in your lives. I can't tell you how helpful your posts have been over the last year, as our son finishes his first year in AFROTC. Being from a non-military family, your posts have helped us fill in our lack of knowledge about ROTC and military life. Best of luck to your son as he begins his Air Force career, and congratulations again to the proud parents!
Pima
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2007
- Messages
- 13,900
hockeypals,
I am not sure that it was our posts that brought you to tears, but IMPO it was Bullet and my avatars. I only say that because as a poster if it was me and seeing the avatars it would give me a vision of what it would like the day our DS commissions.
What is that old saying? A picture is worth a 1000 words. Trust me even though I pinned on Bullet's butter bars 25 yrs earlier as his GF that memory has faded from my mind to a point I couldn't imagine DS's commissioning. I think for many who are not military members or never attended a commissioning the pictures just made their future now a reality of what it will look like on that day and the emotions you will feel as a parent.
I am not sure that it was our posts that brought you to tears, but IMPO it was Bullet and my avatars. I only say that because as a poster if it was me and seeing the avatars it would give me a vision of what it would like the day our DS commissions.
What is that old saying? A picture is worth a 1000 words. Trust me even though I pinned on Bullet's butter bars 25 yrs earlier as his GF that memory has faded from my mind to a point I couldn't imagine DS's commissioning. I think for many who are not military members or never attended a commissioning the pictures just made their future now a reality of what it will look like on that day and the emotions you will feel as a parent.
NROTCHOPEFULDAD
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2012
- Messages
- 87
Non military household question, Do all parents get to pin the bars on at commissioning or is it a unit to unit type of deal?
Pima
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2007
- Messages
- 13,900
Any parent can pin on, you do not need to be military. Only a parent who has served in the military can administer the oath. The parent must submit a specific form to prove that they are by law allowed to administer it.
Bullet pinned on one shoulder for our DS, his GF pinned on the other. The cadet/mid asks people who have had a significant bearing in their life to do it. It is not just the parents that will do the pin on. This past weekend we saw everything from siblings to parents to grandparents to S.O.
May times though what you do see is one parent pin on one side, and not the other parent, leaving the other side for a grandparent, a sibling or GF/BF. I am sure there were some this weekend that had both parents, but out of the 26 that commissioned I would say it was @25% that both did. The other reason of course for doing it this way is so 1 parent can take the pictures as it is occurring. For me, I didn't because I knew emotionally it would be too much for me, and that his GF deserved that moment between the two of them as a couple.
Bullet pinned on one shoulder for our DS, his GF pinned on the other. The cadet/mid asks people who have had a significant bearing in their life to do it. It is not just the parents that will do the pin on. This past weekend we saw everything from siblings to parents to grandparents to S.O.
May times though what you do see is one parent pin on one side, and not the other parent, leaving the other side for a grandparent, a sibling or GF/BF. I am sure there were some this weekend that had both parents, but out of the 26 that commissioned I would say it was @25% that both did. The other reason of course for doing it this way is so 1 parent can take the pictures as it is occurring. For me, I didn't because I knew emotionally it would be too much for me, and that his GF deserved that moment between the two of them as a couple.
hockeypals
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2010
- Messages
- 38
Pima,
You are so right that the pictures you posted had me running for the tissue box because I can hardly imagine what that moment must feel like. We visited my son this weekend (his college is still in session in Ohio- quarter system), and he tried on his dress uniform for us so we could see him in it. They have to turn them in for the summer. I was so proud, I cannot even explain it. He loves the AFROTC. I think it has made his first year very special. I was worried about him going to a very large university, but his detachment has become a second home. He worked hard this year and made the drill team and just received a Type 1 scholarship. We are only at the beginning of this journey, so it is quite emotional to imagine what it will be like in 3 years. Of course, I will worry for the next 3 years about grades and injuries and everything else that will determine whether or not he can achieve his dreams.
Your posts have helped me throughout the year to understand what this life is like. I've already told my son about some of the information I have gleaned from you, like the bag that has to be packed for field training, training in the heat before attending summer field training (the Virignia humidity should help), the "needs of the Air Force" for career placement, and many other things. I'm sure he is hearing a lot of this at his detachment too but I feel better knowing some of it myself. I appreciate all your efforts in posting information on this website. I'm sure it has helped people more than you will ever know. Blessings to your son and your family!! I still have tears in my eyes!
You are so right that the pictures you posted had me running for the tissue box because I can hardly imagine what that moment must feel like. We visited my son this weekend (his college is still in session in Ohio- quarter system), and he tried on his dress uniform for us so we could see him in it. They have to turn them in for the summer. I was so proud, I cannot even explain it. He loves the AFROTC. I think it has made his first year very special. I was worried about him going to a very large university, but his detachment has become a second home. He worked hard this year and made the drill team and just received a Type 1 scholarship. We are only at the beginning of this journey, so it is quite emotional to imagine what it will be like in 3 years. Of course, I will worry for the next 3 years about grades and injuries and everything else that will determine whether or not he can achieve his dreams.
Your posts have helped me throughout the year to understand what this life is like. I've already told my son about some of the information I have gleaned from you, like the bag that has to be packed for field training, training in the heat before attending summer field training (the Virignia humidity should help), the "needs of the Air Force" for career placement, and many other things. I'm sure he is hearing a lot of this at his detachment too but I feel better knowing some of it myself. I appreciate all your efforts in posting information on this website. I'm sure it has helped people more than you will ever know. Blessings to your son and your family!! I still have tears in my eyes!