Our son graduated High School and is off to serve and defend our country with the United States Air Force (the 2nd hardest branch of the service you can join based on ASVAB score requirements with Coast Guard being the highest/hardest to qualify for)

As you could probably imagine as a parent how exciting and scared you are for your kid even though many of us have been there without many of the luxuries that they have now a days.  From what I heard they have scaled back quite a bit due to kids calling there parents while in boot camp and explaining the horrors the drill instructors make them do and for the love of god, no internet, no phones, no game consoles.

Now I've been in the Air Force boot camp longer than most (yea I got what they called washed back a few times) and yes I was upset and when I did speak to my parents via a phone call or letter I explained on how rough it was and how much I thought I made a mistake.  The crazy part is, we all know that going in. No matter how good or bad everyone says it is, you don't know until you know.

It might sound like I'm heartless but really its not that at all.  It's more like tough love which is why I believe every kid needs to serve some time in the military so they can basically grow up and understand what it means to be an American.  Understand what it means to say the "Pledge of Allegiance".  Understand what the "Star Spangled Banner" is all about.  My son Zackary will get to experience what I did in some degree and he too will grow up and become a proud American.  I could not be more proud of my son for taking on the responsibility to defend our country, what it stands for and everyone no matter what race, religion, color, nationality that lives in this beautiful country we call home.