Air Force graduation

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So in a bit of a ‘passing of the torch’, I just passed twenty years on active duty yesterday (NOT Air Force), and my oldest is getting ready to head to Air Force boot camp. Any zoomies here have good ideas for a basic training graduation present? Wasn’t really a thing went I went through, and I didn’t have the luxury of Air Force boot camp anyways.

PLENTY of good ideas for what to send him AT basic - none of which he’ll appreciate at the time, I’m sure.
 
So in a bit of a ‘passing of the torch’, I just passed twenty years on active duty yesterday (NOT Air Force), and my oldest is getting ready to head to Air Force boot camp. Any zoomies here have good ideas for a basic training graduation present? Wasn’t really a thing went I went through, and I didn’t have the luxury of Air Force boot camp anyways.

PLENTY of good ideas for what to send him AT basic - none of which he’ll appreciate at the time, I’m sure.

Congrats, dad! No need for a present; as you know, it's the Air Force. He won't be suffering much while he's there.

Kidding.

I always suggest the same thing on occasions like this: a Randall knife. For Basic graduation, probably something small and useful like a Model 10, which also has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive and generally not too hard to find at places like KTP.

ETA: Yeah, KTP doesn't have one listed right now. Used, maybe.
 
My boy works for a living (USMC Air Crew Chief) but for his boot graduation we just gave him us . By then that's honestly all he wanted [laugh]

He probably won't have the luxury of "space" to put things, so a trinket (like a key chain with something meaningful on one side and a picture of Mom of the other?**) that fits in a pocket or hangs from the lampshade might be best. I did get him an inexpensive nano drone. (Like $20 and the size of a deck of playing cards).

** To clarify, I did not mean to suggest a picture of Mom isn't meaningful. It would be. I meant something ALSO meaningful.
 
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Attend the graduation. That's the biggest gift of all.

Write letters frequently during bootcamp. Talk if/when he can. It was over a month before our son was given permission to call home. Send him care packages with items he and other soldiers need. In my son's case they were "low" on toilet paper so we sent him the good stuff... two ply! IIRC they could not receive candy but cough drops were allowed as a medical necessity. He'll be able to tell you things that are in short supply.

After basic training my son headed to intel training. I flew out there to attend graduation. Then he had a few days off before he had to report to language school. So we drove up to Las Vegas and had one helluva time. My oldest daughter also flew in. It was da bomb! Then we drove up to Monterey dropping him off for schooling.

Time together and experiences are the key. It shows a level of support they really appreciate.

Oh, and here we are in Vegas...

:)

ETA: My son lost weight and inches during basic training. We went clothes shopping to buy him casual items that fit. He was very appreciative.

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Pretty much consensus..............be there for his graduation if it's feasible. A little pocket money might give him a boost to find something he likes or needs. Congratulations to him!!
 
Computer nerd. Technically Cybersecurity - but computer nerd.

I will join the others and say attend graduation if you can. There is a lot more time available for the airman to spend time with family than when I went through. Here is a recent video of events that are so foreign to me. lol. The video is on what to expect. There are lots of others that are taken as they happen. I thought this one might help you.

Again, congrats to you and your son.

Also a link because you never disregard the Moms/wives.

 
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Attend the graduation. That's the biggest gift of all.

Write letters frequently during bootcamp. Talk if/when he can. It was over a month before our son was given permission to call home. Send him care packages with items he and other soldiers need. In my son's case they were "low" on toilet paper so we sent him the good stuff... two ply! IIRC they could not receive candy but cough drops were allowed as a medical necessity. He'll be able to tell you things that are in short supply.

After basic training my son headed to intel training. I flew out there to attend graduation. Then he had a few days off before he had to report to language school. So we drove up to Las Vegas and had one helluva time. My oldest daughter also flew in. It was da bomb! Then we drove up to Monterey dropping him off for schooling.

Time together and experiences are the key. It shows a level of support they really appreciate.

Oh, and here we are in Vegas...

:)

ETA: My son lost weight and inches during basic training. We went clothes shopping to buy him casual items that fit. He was very appreciative.

View attachment 310658
Oh, I already have my leave approved for his graduation. Whether my own dress uniforms fit...yeah...it’s going to be in February, my Winter Dress Blue most likely fits. Depending on timing, Chief Dad or BM1 Dad will DEFINITELY be there. Wouldn’t miss it for anything.

It would be awesome if his school was up at DLI or any of the other Monterey units - I work a couple hours south. Probably the next A/D unit south of there, but blink and you’d miss us. He wants to go overseas and do some adventuring while he’s young and single, though, and I think that’s an awesome idea.

I hear you with the letters, though. I went to boot camp 20 years and 2 days ago, and those actual mailed paper letters made more of a difference than anyone that hasn’t been through it could ever imagine. I’m ALSO having recruiter friends send postcards, and they’re having their recruiter friends in all the other branches send recruiting postcards - but come on, I’m just trying to help him get some good PT in while he’s there...
 
...
I hear you with the letters, though. I went to boot camp 20 years and 2 days ago, and those actual mailed paper letters made more of a difference than anyone that hasn’t been through it could ever imagine. I’m ALSO having recruiter friends send postcards, and they’re having their recruiter friends in all the other branches send recruiting postcards - but come on, I’m just trying to help him get some good PT in while he’s there...

Boots especially love those musical cards. The sort that make music when you open them. And scents evoke memories, so make sure any letters / cards are doused with perfume.
 
My grandparents attended my graduation. It was really something special for me. The day before, as I recall, was the day that we could go off base. Only with a family member could we get a pass to ride in a POV. My grandfather also signed out my best friend in my flight, telling the CQ that he was his nephew. The race difference made it obviously unlikely that it was the case. But the sergeant smiled and said, "of course", and signed the pass.
It was a great day that we both appreciated.
 
Boots especially love those musical cards. The sort that make music when you open them. And scents evoke memories, so make sure any letters / cards are doused with perfume.
Oh, already planning on it. As well as plenty of recruiting postcards from other branches. He might not appreciate it at the time, but when he graduates as an experienced expert in the art of the push-up, he will! (Probably not, but when you have a Dad that’s senior enlisted in another branch, you should probably expect it...)
 
He’s in his second full week of actual training now.

Wife: I hope he’s eating and sleeping enough and they’re not being too harsh on him.

Me (after over 20 years of a/d): I hope they’re hazing the ever living shit out of him...


Traditions, right?
 
He’s in his second full week of actual training now.

Wife: I hope he’s eating and sleeping enough and they’re not being too harsh on him.

Me (after over 20 years of a/d): I hope they’re hazing the ever living shit out of him...


Traditions, right?

I sent my boy one of those greeting cards that plays a song when you open it, when he was in Marine Boot Camp.
 
I sent my boy one of those greeting cards that plays a song when you open it, when he was in Marine Boot Camp.

My mom sent me a card in an envelope with the US flag printed on it. The drill sergeant called everyone to attention during mail call and had us all salute my mom's envelope. After I pulled out the card, he made me fold the envelope properly for disposal.

Good times.
 
If you think the Air Force is easy, check out what it takes to be a Special forces in the Air Force as a PJ pararescuemen. 80%+ drop out rate. Been told Seals and Forced Recon Marines step aside and let them go ahead in the chow line in those plywood and metal trailer citys the middle of the desert. Most of the PJs are reups from the other branches of Special Forces who join the AF cuz there sick of sleeping on the ground. SO OTHERS MAY LIVE
 
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If you think the Air Force is easy, check out what it takes to be a Special forces in the Air Force as a PJ pararescuemen. 80% drop out rate. I hear Seals step aside and let them go ahead in the chow line. Most of the PJs are reups from the other branches of the military who join the AF cuz there sick of sleeping on the ground.
Or TACP, or Combat Control, etc.
 
Well, I got a phone call from him early this morning! Thankfully (as only those of us that have been through basic probably understand) it has been a lot tougher than he expected. Said they’ve probably pushed the deck two feet into the earth. Asked him if they had to “pay in advance” for the Christmas privileges and phone calls, but apparently the MTI’s plan to come around to collect tomorrow. As a father I wanted to tell him they’re going to haze his face off no matter what they tell them the reason is anyways - but as a fellow enlisted man...
 
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