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Family Matters:  Air Force Moms  |
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mndreamer
True Blue Farmgirl
191 Posts
Vicky
Popple Creek
MN
USA
191 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 1:09:09 PM
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Are there any here? I am leaving at the end of the month for San Antonio to watch my youngest graduate from Air Force basic training.
Just wondering if anyone out there has gone through this and if they have any suggestions or advice. It is also my first time flying since I was a baby. Any advice will be appreciated! I miss my son SOOOO much - can't wait to see him again!
~Vicky~
It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.
--- Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Cabinprincess
True Blue Farmgirl
682 Posts
Melody June
Athens
TX
USA
682 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 2:10:17 PM
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Hi,
Not the mom here, I was in the Air Force. I know exactly how he feels! SO EXCITED TO HAVE IT OVER!! He may not let on but he really is exhausted, mentally and physically. Having you there is the most important thing in the world to him right now and just knowing how proud you are of him. It really means so much that you can just be there. Take your camera and gets lots of pictures of everything. A few years from now they will be great memories for you to give him. Congrats to you for raising a son who wants to serve our country!! Give him a hug and a thank you from another much older AF vet.
Smiles, Melody June
God's gift to you are your talents, your gift to Him is how you use them. |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2873 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2873 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 2:54:40 PM
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Vicky
God Bless your son!! How proud you must be! |
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mndreamer
True Blue Farmgirl
191 Posts
Vicky
Popple Creek
MN
USA
191 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 2:58:18 PM
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Thanks so much for the encouraging words, Melody! My father was also in the Air Force... he died at 40, 2 years after he retired! So I was totally surprised and thrilled that my son chose to follow in his footsteps, even though he never knew him. I know my son is exhausted. I can tell by his letters, even though he doesn't say so. (the few letters that have come). I also know that my father is there watching over him. Just counting the days til I can see him! 18 to go! Thanks again Melody!
~Vicky~
It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.
--- Laura Ingalls Wilder
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mndreamer
True Blue Farmgirl
191 Posts
Vicky
Popple Creek
MN
USA
191 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 3:00:11 PM
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Thanks Lisa! I am very proud!
~Vicky~
It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.
--- Laura Ingalls Wilder
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mndreamer
True Blue Farmgirl
191 Posts
Vicky
Popple Creek
MN
USA
191 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 3:03:10 PM
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Melody, I forgot to write part of my reply to you.
Thank YOU so much for your service. I know the sacrifices you all have made for the rest of us, and I for one am continually grateful!!!
~Vicky~
It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.
--- Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1403 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1403 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 3:30:21 PM
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Vicky,
I come from a US Navy family, but my son wanted so bad to fly--but he is too old. Anyway, he enlisted in the USAF and went through his basic training about five or so years ago. I was unable to attend his graduation. He was sent to Biloxi, MS and then to Augusta, GA. He is now in Lancaster, CA and his training station is in Van Nuys. He will be 39 this year and has six or seven years in the AF. I'm very proud of him.
I spent 2-1/2 years in the Navy and was discharged because at that time married women weren't welcome. My husband was sent to Iceland to finish out his service.
Betty in Pasco |
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nut4fabric
True Blue Farmgirl
885 Posts
Kathy
Morgan Hill
CA
USA
885 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2009 : 5:57:13 PM
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Vicky
Congratulations to you and your son!! My daughter was in the Air Force for 5 1/2 years and graduated in San Antonio in Feb. 2000. I went down the Monday before the graduation (my husband her boyfriend and her best friend arrived on Wednesday) and was able to go to all the events that they had that week. I did not get to spend much time with her until Thursday but we were able to have dinner together each night. My first advice is that he will want non military food so before you see him pick him up some food. There is fast food on base but they don't have acsess to it and you probably won't either until after the graduation. Take good walking shoes and dress for hot weather, the graduation area is not shaded and is HOT. The day that they can leave base (Saturday) they have to be in uniform, unless they are in a hotel room. The River Walk is a great place to spend some time, lots of restaurants and shopping there, and the Alamo is within walking distance from there. I stayed in a hotel near the River Walk but it was not hard to get to the base, though there are lots of hotels closer. You will probably be flying into Dallas and changing planes, the Dallas airport is HUGE so take the tram if you need to get the another part of the terminal. We stayed until Monday morning and by chance met up with her at the airport, she was on her way to Monteray CA to the Defense Langauge Institute. It was a great week and all of us enjoyed every minute of it. And don't forget a camera!!! If you have any questions e-mail me and if I think of anything else I will let you know.
Hugs, Kathy |
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1403 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1403 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2009 : 07:44:52 AM
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Kathy,
It sounds to me as though you had a wonderful experience. Did you think it was expensive?
I wish your son the best and thankful for young men like him. I certainly hope he gets to enjoy Monterey, CA for it is a beautiful area.
Betty in Pasco |
Edited by - Betty J. on Aug 10 2009 07:45:28 AM |
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Cabinprincess
True Blue Farmgirl
682 Posts
Melody June
Athens
TX
USA
682 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2009 : 07:53:19 AM
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So proud of your Daughter Kathy and for all the other young women in the military. They still are the forgotten force!! There are so many more serving than people realize!
Smiles, Melody June
God's gift to you are your talents, your gift to Him is how you use them. |
Edited by - Cabinprincess on Aug 10 2009 08:01:31 AM |
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nut4fabric
True Blue Farmgirl
885 Posts
Kathy
Morgan Hill
CA
USA
885 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2009 : 07:56:30 AM
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Betty I did have a wonderful time and I didn't think it was expensive but it would be hard to put a price on that experience. It was my daughter and she was in Monteray for one year and then off to England for 3 years. She is out of the Air Force now and working at the NSA in Maryland. My son has been in the Navy for 15 years as well.
Kathy |
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nut4fabric
True Blue Farmgirl
885 Posts
Kathy
Morgan Hill
CA
USA
885 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2009 : 09:44:39 AM
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Thanks Melody!! We are very proud of her too. It was so much fun meeting the other young women that she went through basic training with, all so intelligent and motivated, a few of them went on the language school with her and one on the England with her. Great experience for her and a wonderful start to a outstanding career in the civilian world.
Hugs, Kathy |
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1403 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1403 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2009 : 11:35:26 AM
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Kathy,
Amazing that we live so close to each other! Sorry that I misconstrued your first message as meaning a son. Sometimes military service can lead to wonderful careers. What is the NSA? Is it National Security? I had the chance to go to nursing school (that's where they sent the females then), but chose marriage instead. What a mistake! I did end up with two wonderful sons, thoush the ex went on to other wives.
Betty in Pasco |
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mndreamer
True Blue Farmgirl
191 Posts
Vicky
Popple Creek
MN
USA
191 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2009 : 12:29:48 PM
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Thanks Betty and Kathy for the info and encouragement! We waited a little to long to book our flights, so they got kind of pricey, but like you said, I would spend a fortune just to be able to see him again and let him know how proud we are of him. I feel so bad for the kids whose parents can't come and will try to include as many of those kids with us, as would like to join us. What kind of food did you bring with for your kids?? Like I said I am a green horn when it comes to flying, I'm not sure of all the do's and don'ts besides what I read on there website. I would love to bring homemade cookies if I can, and then purchase other things he likes down there. Our flight is non-stop from Minneapolis to San Antonio. We are staying in a hotel by the Riverwalk also, and renting a car. Did you have a hard time finding your kids after the ceremony? The time we get to spend there is so short and I don't want to regret not bringing this or that. Thanks all of you, you don't know how much this means to me!!!
~Vicky~
It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.
--- Laura Ingalls Wilder
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nut4fabric
True Blue Farmgirl
885 Posts
Kathy
Morgan Hill
CA
USA
885 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2009 : 12:43:53 PM
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Vicky, Good for you getting a direct flight makes it so much easier, cookies will be ok on the plane as long as you put them in your checked luggage. Erin wanted Mexican food and I found a good place right outside the gate of the base and that's what we had every night. Didn't have a hard time finding my way around at all the drive from the Riverwalk to the base is pretty simple. The graduation is on a huge parade grounds and it will be hard to spot your son, binoculars might be handy and a camera with a good lens. After the graduation we just met her back at the bowling alley as they had to march back to the barracks. On Thursday evening there was a flag ceremony and after that her boyfriend just went out to the parade grounds and got her. We also included the parentless kids and they all just seemed so thrilled to have a parent even if it wasn't theirs. You will see so many of them walking around the Riverwalk on Saturday. Can't really think of anything else to bring him, they will have access to the PX after graduation before that it is only for "neccessay items". Have a great time and tell him Thank You for me.
Hugs, Kathy |
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nut4fabric
True Blue Farmgirl
885 Posts
Kathy
Morgan Hill
CA
USA
885 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2009 : 12:49:26 PM
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Betty Yes we are close to each other, we go down to Tri-cities about every 6 weeks or so to do our big shopping, love that area. Yes the NSA is national security, she was a linguist in the Air Force and is continuing her career in that area. She has an interesting job but she can't ever tell us just what it is that she is doing, samething when she was in the AF. The military offers so much more to females now then back in the day, sorry that you didn't do the nursing school but yoy have your sons and I know that you wouldn't trade them for anything.
Hugs, Kathy |
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1403 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1403 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2009 : 5:13:02 PM
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Kathy, there's more to life than talking about work. My son works at Edwards Air Force Base in California. When there is something he can't talk about, he gets this screwed up look on his face and I know to stop right there. He is doing his two weeks active duty this week and next. His wife just got home from visiting with her dying mother and he had been taking care of their baby girl. Baby Girl didn't want anything to do with her since she had been left with so many caretakers while Mom was gone. Now with Dad gone she is really confused.
Betty in Pasco |
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nut4fabric
True Blue Farmgirl
885 Posts
Kathy
Morgan Hill
CA
USA
885 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2009 : 7:29:15 PM
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Betty You're absolutely right about there being more to life than work, we tease her all the time about not talking about what she does. Her boyfriends brother is convinced that she is a stripper because she won't talk about work. Sorry to hear about your DILs mom, it's so hard on everyone. My husband is in California right now as his father is losing his battle with brain cancer so I know what it is like.
Hugs, Kathy |
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Family Matters: Air Force Moms |
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Air Force Moms
