Congratulation, Marc, to both you and your son. Our country is in his hands, and fine hands they are. May he do well and stay safe. You are justly proud!
I send my congratulations, and thanks, to both of you …
… to your son, a Man who is going the extra mile (higher) in standing up to preserve our life and liberty — including the liberty for Liberal and Conservative together to respectfully and peacefully debate the best ways to pursue happiness …
… and to you, for it is obvious that you have nurtured the growth of the wisdom and principle you possess, in this Man.
Outstanding. Please pass on my thanks to your son for heeding the call. I am also blessed with family who are willing and able to be the next generation of Defenders of the Republic. My niece will be graduating from AF Basic next Friday. My own daughter, who is 20, is joining the AF in September. She is married to an A1C. I am beyond proud of all three of them.
Congratulations to your son on his graduation from Army basic training. I see he is already proving himself by graduating with the rank of PFC (E-3) while many of his peers are still PVT (E-1) or PV2 (E-2).
I hope he continues to do well as he progresses through the Army training system and into regular service. We are going to need many more men and women like him as this century of struggle unfolds.
Is it just me or the camera, or are allot of the guys slouching… heads down, chins down,looking down not to be the bastard no one likes, but I’d make some of those guys crawl through cactus, eat mud and spent casings for a day? And congrats to your son.
#16: I also noticed that some of the postures didn’t look “military brace” or fully-erect.
Not sure what doctrine is for attention posture these days. “‘Way, ‘way back, one of the things DIs or cadet-trainers would sometimes do was to compel some particular target of attention to adopt a “brace” posture long enough to eventually make ’em pass out, or so I’ve heard from more than one source. But I dunno.
They all look alert, even if some of ’em aren’t at full height with shoulders back.
Congratulations on a proud moment for your family, immediate plus extended (that would be all of us!) We are all proud of his commitment and achievement.
A little too much blind romantic fantasy here………….
AL, Your son – like my two children – is now part of the killing machine. It’s a job -a very ugly one at times – and his boss can literally work him to death.
He’s obviously a brave and able young man so let’s pray for righteous and wise leadership and that any sacrificies he is called upon to make are necessary for the defense of this nation.
Congrats! My parents and my wife came to my basic training graduation and it was one of the most proud moments of my life. I … made … it. It was hard and it sucked but I made it. That which does not kill you…
I am so happy to know that the country is in good hands.
Look, Al, I’m not trying to be an A-hole and/or detract from your son’s decision and recent related accomplishment.
As usual, I am presenting an alternative, but at least equally real perspective and I am trying to tell you something that you might want to keep in mind for the future because it might someday be damned relevant to your relationship with your son.
avedis, it’s certainly not ‘equally real’, and while I appreciate your abiding concern for my son’s and my future relationship, perhaps it’s something you should save for when you’re sober.
Congratulations to your son! And although you’ve claimed to not have any part in his accomplishment, other than the UCR “buy ’em books and send ’em to school,” I beg to differ. There’s merit in that ol saw that says “An acorn never falls far from the tree.”
So yes, AL, you deserve congratulations too. There are families in this country in which nobody in living memory has volunteered for military service, which makes it all the more important that we honor those who do.
Congrats to your son, AL. My sincere hope is, that his noble choice of duty, honor, and sacrifice of one’s self for a greater cause, will end up being utilized in only the best ways.
Hooray for Biggest Guy! And kudos to him for making this choice with his eyes wide open. He has always been a great kid. Whatever the risks, both my nephew and my brother benefitted in many unexpected ways and grew as men with their military experience. I admire the men they became and I am sure the same will hold true for E. Give him a hug for me when you get a chance.
hypocrisyrules: “My sincere hope is, that his noble choice of duty, honor, and sacrifice of one’s self for a greater cause, will end up being utilized in only the best ways.”
The choice of selfless service in the military is always an act of faith – faith in country and people, faith in history, faith in the nation’s leadership. In war time, it is an act of faith with life stakes.
One thing I learned when I served – in Korea – is that military service is not always an act whose justness is immediately evident. The Korean War was brutal, much moreso even than the more-famous war that followed it, and a thoroughly bitter and disillusioning experience for many of the veterans who fought there, who left with PTSD, and left behind dead friends, undefeated enemies, and a poor, suffering country further demolished. Politically, at the time, our involvement in Korea seemed knee-jerk by Truman, strategically and politically unwise at a time the US was still undecided and reticent about its global role, and poorly thought out as a whole. For decades, as South Korea struggled to become a viable nation, as many Koreans regularly protested our presence and our relationship with an often repressive, undemocratic government, many Korean War veterans harshly questioned what it was all for. To them, for much of the 20th century, that war was a breach of faith by the nation they had given their oath to serve.
I was serving in Korea in 2000 when our Korean vets returned, many for the first time in almost 50 years, for the 50th anniversary of the Korean War. I was tasked as a driver-escort (my VIP was COL Lew Millett) and was able to be part of the events. I watched genuine American heroes cry as they looked upon the vibrant, stable, democratic Korea of 2000 and they saw what their sacrifice had been for, 50 years before. My lesson learned – justness in war comes less from the entry into a war and the unimaginable brutality of fighting it, than securing the time and space so, most importantly, we can build the peace.
For the soldiers who do the hardest part, for the survivors whose war experience may affect the rest of their lives, they may not be able to know for 50 years what, if any greater good, came of their selfless service. But that’s what it takes.
Congratulation, Marc, to both you and your son. Our country is in his hands, and fine hands they are. May he do well and stay safe. You are justly proud!
You must be so proud, Marc! Congratulatioons on raising a fine young man, and supporting him in realizing his dreams.
Congrats.
Other than the birth of one’s child, this is one of the proudest moments of person’s life.
(Both for the grandfather and the father)
Congrats! God Bless him
Congratulations to your son and his family (especially you)!
Thanks for the celebratory moment. God bless him and his comrades.
Congratulations!
Thanks for sharing this, congratulations. Great photo too, we are so lucky to have these amazing young men in our midst.
Applause! Congrats to both of you!
I send my congratulations, and thanks, to both of you …
… to your son, a Man who is going the extra mile (higher) in standing up to preserve our life and liberty — including the liberty for Liberal and Conservative together to respectfully and peacefully debate the best ways to pursue happiness …
… and to you, for it is obvious that you have nurtured the growth of the wisdom and principle you possess, in this Man.
ARMY STRONG PRAYERS headed to your fine son and to your family! Thanks for sharing this with us Black Five addicted heathens! HOOAH!!!
Outstanding. Please pass on my thanks to your son for heeding the call. I am also blessed with family who are willing and able to be the next generation of Defenders of the Republic. My niece will be graduating from AF Basic next Friday. My own daughter, who is 20, is joining the AF in September. She is married to an A1C. I am beyond proud of all three of them.
Welcome to the family!
Congratulations to your son on his graduation from Army basic training. I see he is already proving himself by graduating with the rank of PFC (E-3) while many of his peers are still PVT (E-1) or PV2 (E-2).
I hope he continues to do well as he progresses through the Army training system and into regular service. We are going to need many more men and women like him as this century of struggle unfolds.
Godspeed and good hunting, PFC Danziger!
Congratulations!!! You must be SO proud! 🙂
Is it just me or the camera, or are allot of the guys slouching… heads down, chins down,looking down not to be the bastard no one likes, but I’d make some of those guys crawl through cactus, eat mud and spent casings for a day? And congrats to your son.
Well done young man!! Welcome to the Dawg Pound! 🙂
Good luck with the Sneaky Pete’s-keep your eye on the ball and you’ll do fine.
Your son just joined with an American heritage that is older and more essential than even the nation itself.
Ah, nostalgia: “Me on the day I graduated from my Army Basic Training”:http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/1486009927078472999plvJGc
#16: I also noticed that some of the postures didn’t look “military brace” or fully-erect.
Not sure what doctrine is for attention posture these days. “‘Way, ‘way back, one of the things DIs or cadet-trainers would sometimes do was to compel some particular target of attention to adopt a “brace” posture long enough to eventually make ’em pass out, or so I’ve heard from more than one source. But I dunno.
They all look alert, even if some of ’em aren’t at full height with shoulders back.
#18: DS Stewart looks like he could eat iron ore and spit nails if the occasion demanded it. Those must have been fun runs. 🙂
Congratulations on a proud moment for your family, immediate plus extended (that would be all of us!) We are all proud of his commitment and achievement.
These warriors are in our prayers every morning.
Congratulations to father and son.
The last rows are always a bit more relaxed place whilst, at least in my country’s army, first row-first column is the pivot of the formation.
Congratulations to father and son.
A little too much blind romantic fantasy here………….
AL, Your son – like my two children – is now part of the killing machine. It’s a job -a very ugly one at times – and his boss can literally work him to death.
He’s obviously a brave and able young man so let’s pray for righteous and wise leadership and that any sacrificies he is called upon to make are necessary for the defense of this nation.
Congrats! My parents and my wife came to my basic training graduation and it was one of the most proud moments of my life. I … made … it. It was hard and it sucked but I made it. That which does not kill you…
I am so happy to know that the country is in good hands.
Well, in my view nothing I’ve done warrants congratulations; as noted I mostly fed him, bought him books, and paid for tuition.
It’s his adventure.
A.L.
avedis, it is most certainly not ‘a machine’; it is people. We’ve been killing each other pretty much as far back as the fossil record goes.
I can only speak for my son, but he’s fully aware of what he’s doing and of the moral hazard involved.
A.L.
Look, Al, I’m not trying to be an A-hole and/or detract from your son’s decision and recent related accomplishment.
As usual, I am presenting an alternative, but at least equally real perspective and I am trying to tell you something that you might want to keep in mind for the future because it might someday be damned relevant to your relationship with your son.
avedis, it’s certainly not ‘equally real’, and while I appreciate your abiding concern for my son’s and my future relationship, perhaps it’s something you should save for when you’re sober.
A.L.
Congrats!!!
I just graduated from BCT on Sept. 14th and am due to graduate AIT on 21-February as a 15U (Chinook Helicopter repairer)…At 43! 😀
Hooah! to you and your son.
Army Strong!
Orion
Ah, but you succeeded. Congratulations. I’m so proud for you.
— — —
A.L., welcome to the family. If I see a junior SF pup with the correct last name in theater in about a year and a half, beverages are on me…
Congratulations! Both of you.
Congratulations to your son! And although you’ve claimed to not have any part in his accomplishment, other than the UCR “buy ’em books and send ’em to school,” I beg to differ. There’s merit in that ol saw that says “An acorn never falls far from the tree.”
So congrats to you too, AL!
Congratulations to your son, AL.
“An acorn never falls far from the tree.”
So yes, AL, you deserve congratulations too. There are families in this country in which nobody in living memory has volunteered for military service, which makes it all the more important that we honor those who do.
Congrats to your son, AL. My sincere hope is, that his noble choice of duty, honor, and sacrifice of one’s self for a greater cause, will end up being utilized in only the best ways.
hypo – you can only imagine how much I agree with you here.
A.L.
Hooray for Biggest Guy! And kudos to him for making this choice with his eyes wide open. He has always been a great kid. Whatever the risks, both my nephew and my brother benefitted in many unexpected ways and grew as men with their military experience. I admire the men they became and I am sure the same will hold true for E. Give him a hug for me when you get a chance.
hypocrisyrules: “My sincere hope is, that his noble choice of duty, honor, and sacrifice of one’s self for a greater cause, will end up being utilized in only the best ways.”
The choice of selfless service in the military is always an act of faith – faith in country and people, faith in history, faith in the nation’s leadership. In war time, it is an act of faith with life stakes.
One thing I learned when I served – in Korea – is that military service is not always an act whose justness is immediately evident. The Korean War was brutal, much moreso even than the more-famous war that followed it, and a thoroughly bitter and disillusioning experience for many of the veterans who fought there, who left with PTSD, and left behind dead friends, undefeated enemies, and a poor, suffering country further demolished. Politically, at the time, our involvement in Korea seemed knee-jerk by Truman, strategically and politically unwise at a time the US was still undecided and reticent about its global role, and poorly thought out as a whole. For decades, as South Korea struggled to become a viable nation, as many Koreans regularly protested our presence and our relationship with an often repressive, undemocratic government, many Korean War veterans harshly questioned what it was all for. To them, for much of the 20th century, that war was a breach of faith by the nation they had given their oath to serve.
I was serving in Korea in 2000 when our Korean vets returned, many for the first time in almost 50 years, for the 50th anniversary of the Korean War. I was tasked as a driver-escort (my VIP was COL Lew Millett) and was able to be part of the events. I watched genuine American heroes cry as they looked upon the vibrant, stable, democratic Korea of 2000 and they saw what their sacrifice had been for, 50 years before. My lesson learned – justness in war comes less from the entry into a war and the unimaginable brutality of fighting it, than securing the time and space so, most importantly, we can build the peace.
For the soldiers who do the hardest part, for the survivors whose war experience may affect the rest of their lives, they may not be able to know for 50 years what, if any greater good, came of their selfless service. But that’s what it takes.