When your child wants to join the military

My 17 year old son is talking about going into the military. He is currently weighing his options to decide if he would prefer college or military. This is completely his decision but we do talk to him about his options. One of the options we are talking to him about is which branch he would join. His first inclination is toward the Army because he would like to be a sniper or special forces. He has already eliminated the Navy because he doesn't like water and he doesn't want to be a Marine. But his other alternative is the Air Force which is the branch that we are recommending to him if he doesn't decide to go to college. He is a bright child and would handle the Air Force better than the Army as it emphasizes your intelligence over the Army emphasizing your brawn. I know that he will make the decision that works best for him in the long run, whether that is the military or college.

As a parent we need to make sure that we support our children in the decisions they make. Now I don't mean let them do whatever they want, but they come to a certain age when the decision has to be theirs. I would be hypocritical if I didn't want my son to join the military. My family has been active members of the military for generations. My father was in the Army during WWII, along with two of my uncles. I have had 2 uncles in the Navy during the Korean War and a brother in the Marines during the Vietnam War. I have also had 2 other brothers in the Army and a sister in the Air Force. I have a brother-in-law that is retired Navy and I have a nephew that was in the Army. to top it all off both my husband and I were in the Air Force. Looking at the history of my family, it could be assumed that I would encourage my son to go in the military, but I won't do that. It is a decision he has to make and one he has to live with the rest of his life. If he thinks that going in the military is the right decision for him then his father and I will support his decision.

Parents should be proud their children have chosen a career in the military. It is a honorable profession and no matter what people think about the war we are in, it is important to always support our troops. If my son does chose this path, then we will pray everyday for God to look out for him and his troop, but we will honor his decision and support him with not only our words but our actions also. If it is important to him then it is important to us.