As I was driving back to the office after lunch, I stopped at a red light behind a vehicle which had this decal on the back window:
I can't put my finger on why, but I can't stop thinking about it. It seems to be amping up the "Proud Army Dad" thing beyond simply being proud of my kid.
On the one hand, DW and I are proud of our DS for what he has accomplished and proud of what he's doing.
On the other hand, I was raised in a family, in which calling attention to one's accomplishments or those of one's children was absolutely verboten (not that I ever gave my parents much reason to brag). And never would you compare your kid to another publicly. Other than our DS and an older brother who flew in Vietnam, there is no military history in my family since the Civil War.
Also, over the years of being on this forum, I recall a number of hopeful future cadets and mids who (like DS#2) got medically DQed. Sometimes the DQ has nothing to do with fighting ability, but rather a long term potential serious health issue or a financial liability for the DoD due to some medical condition.
I am very aware of the disconnect between the military and society at large, so I am curious how the sentiment expressed by that decal fits into that dynamic. IOW, does it help to bridge or widen the divide? Or does it mean nothing to those who see it?
I ask this question here, because SAF is my safe space.
I can't put my finger on why, but I can't stop thinking about it. It seems to be amping up the "Proud Army Dad" thing beyond simply being proud of my kid.
On the one hand, DW and I are proud of our DS for what he has accomplished and proud of what he's doing.
On the other hand, I was raised in a family, in which calling attention to one's accomplishments or those of one's children was absolutely verboten (not that I ever gave my parents much reason to brag). And never would you compare your kid to another publicly. Other than our DS and an older brother who flew in Vietnam, there is no military history in my family since the Civil War.
Also, over the years of being on this forum, I recall a number of hopeful future cadets and mids who (like DS#2) got medically DQed. Sometimes the DQ has nothing to do with fighting ability, but rather a long term potential serious health issue or a financial liability for the DoD due to some medical condition.
I am very aware of the disconnect between the military and society at large, so I am curious how the sentiment expressed by that decal fits into that dynamic. IOW, does it help to bridge or widen the divide? Or does it mean nothing to those who see it?
I ask this question here, because SAF is my safe space.