This Wednesday I will be heading down to Fort Sill, OK to watch my son graduate from Army Basic Training. It seems hard to believe that the boy who played army in the fort in his bedroom is now issued an M-16, and is tasked with protecting my freedom. Growing up in a military family, I always appreciated the sacrifices that men and women have made for our freedom. Throughout the 34 years that my dad spent on active duty, I was often reminded of the price of freedom.
In 1999 when I joined the military, that sacrifice took on a whole new meaning. I was now feeling, first-hand, the fear and sadness of leaving family to go to war in Iraq. What I was told as a child was now becoming real.
However, both of those pale in comparison to watching your son put on a uniform and begin his call of duty. The reality of the potential sacrifice could not be more real. But neither could the pride. I am the son of a soldier; a former soldier; and now the dad of a soldier. Each role makes me progressively more proud!
