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My Kid Just Joined the US Navy
My youngest on our back deck signing her paperwork to enlist in the Navy. She still has to finish her senior year in high school, hit that 18th birthday, and then she ships directly out to basic.
“I want to serve my country and see the world,” she says to us. Was she serious? Uh yeah, she was and is. In fact, she’s probably more mature and clear-sighted at 17 than I am today at 52. I am one proud papa today!
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Bravo Zulu for your daughter, and for you!
Ditto. When she gets to boot camp, she’ll learn what that means.
Yep. She’ll also learn the expression, “If you don’t have one, the Navy will issue you one.”
I learned it when I was in Orlando for nuke school, and found out the Navy had issued me a wife. Long story . . .
Congratulations, @curtnorth! You are, and should be, one proud papa. I wish her much success!
Congratulations to you, your wife, and to America.
Absolutely congratulations to both of you.
And noting that she’s a southpaw, I can tell that she’s more logical, and more adaptable than most of her fellow recruits.
I’d say the fruit did not fall far from the tree. Looks like you did a good job raising her.
Well, a better shot at the Presidency, anyway.
Good job Dad.
My sister enlisted in the Navy in 1981. My parents’ chief concern was her getting a tattoo.
Times have changed.
A few have noticed that, that must be a regressive trait since her mom and I are both right handed. Hopefully it means something good for her!
Good for her. I spend a couple of days a week examining military recruits in Phoenix, as I used to do in LA before I escaped. I enjoy talking to a lot of these kids. I had one yesterday who did an enlistment in the Marine Corps and then went to college. He is now going into the Navy Reserve to do Cybersecurity. I see a lot of kids doing this.
I asked him if he had ever read, “The Cuckoo’s Egg,” a classic in the history of hacking. It’s 20 years old and the technology has changed but it is still in print and still a classic. He had me write down the title for him.
A month ago, I talked to a kid who did an enlistment in the AF where he did avionics, got out and went to college where he got his BS in Electrical Engineering. Now he was going back into the Air Force.
Awesome!! Congratulations!
Congrats to you and your kid. My son is in the Marine Corps. From here on out you will pay a different type of attention to the evening news. The global situation is now very personal for you.
That is so great. While I don’t have my own children, I have nieces and nephews, and two are in the Armed Forces, keeping us safe. I am very proud of them.
Early entry is a great thing providing she really takes advantage of it. Run. Run. Run. Build up that stamina. It makes boot so much easier.
By the way, we USMC parents would like to thank your daughter for joining the Marine Corps Taxi Service. 243 years of excellence in getting our beloved Corps where they need to be. (Go Navy, Beat Army!)
Wait, you mean watching reruns on Netflix and sleeping in daily isn’t getting her ready? I should probably warn her!
Yep. (Well, my son hasn’t gone to Marine boot camp yet.)
I tell the kids they should be running 5 miles a day by the time they ship. If you think that is too much, my 30 year old daughter was running 7 miles a day by the time she finished the FBI Academy. Louis Freeh, who was Director then, used to come down to the Academy and run with them. No wonder Bill Clinton hated hi,.
Well, it is the Navy, so maybe a jog to the mailbox every couple days will be enough. ;-)
Ditto
Honest question here: Do Navy recruiters work out their poolies (or whatever the Navy calls them)? During my son’s senior year in high school he and his fellow USMC delayed entry recruits worked out with their staff sergeants twice a week, usually on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings.
Tell her not to mind the bellhops. Just tip them well when they get her bags.
He said it’s a monthly get together, they do some P.T. and how to march, how to salute, that kind of thing. What will be expected in boot camp, sort of getting them ready to get ready. He implied the physical stuff is on her, he mentioned start running, etc… Part of it is that we live in a small town about 100 miles north of the nearest Navy recruiting station, just geography.
@Curt Northnorth Outstanding news! My grandfather joined the Army to learn a trade; he learned how to point weapons at Canada to deter an attack before going to Europe for World War I. For my part, join the Army see the world–I lived about 10 miles from my folks while on active duty.
Never a bad idea.
B-Z, to your Sailor – and to you, @Curt North – as well as all those you both hold dear…Family serves, too. Consider yourselves added to the personal prayer list! <3
I’ll be happy to add my family to that list, thanks!
And what is it with these digital camouflage uniforms on board? If the crew is going to hide from boarders, maybe they should have pictures of coffee machines or lube oil pumps on their outfits . . .
Just saw a pic of an R> alum’s new blue “greens”; lookin’ fine, actually… :-)