Signing up for the National gaurd

[maryrnsn]

OK my 17 yr old son tested and passed for the national gaurds (USA) and I have to go with him to meet with the recruiter this Friday, I can't say I really want him to join I am all for supporting the country yes but this is MY son my one and only child going into the service and given the state of everything right now I am pretty positive he will be deployed after he finishes school and basic time frame of 2 yrs yes but still it wont end by them even with an administration change it will take more than 2 yrs
But it would be dumb of me to not support him he will have many more oportunities open to him if he does this between the sign on bonus the bonus when he would complete basic training his colledge would be completely reimburssed upon graduation with at least a c average
besides what he learns in training will transferr to his school for credits, the travel to different places, the life shaping experiences he will have , if he does it right he could have a very good leg to stand on at a young age unlike I did
So I know it's good for him but why does it scare the crap out of me so bad just thinking about it brings moisture to my eyes ugh, I know time to cut the strings right?
sorry so Long just need to get it out and listen to others

[LoriL]

I'm sorry, I know this is hard. If I had a son that was doing this, I don't know how I would feel either at this time.

I guess all I can do is share with you a story. My church is very small, therefore, the phone rings at my house. We got a phone call last January from a guy who needed some help. He wasn't a member of the church, he was traveling through by greyhound bus, trying to get home to Colorado. He had been visiting friends in this state, but unfortunately, someone had stolen his bags with his connecting tickets.

Anyway, he was stuck here in town. At first, he wandered around, asking for help. And let me tell you, wandering around in the middle of January in Wisconsin is not much fun! He asked for help from many people and businesses and many other churches, nobody helped him.

Let me explain something else-he had just finished a tour of duty in Afghanistan. He also told everyone he met this. Nobody helped him.

He called us. We didn't have a building at this point, and quite honestly, we didn't know who he was, he didn't tell us his whole story, but my husband met him across town (he had walked 12 miles by this point), picked him up, fed him and paid for him to stay at the Excel Inn.

The next day we met him for breakfast and cared for him until we could buy him a bus ticket home. Needless to say, we spent the day listening to him talk about his experiences in his tour of duty.

He said that he felt he was doing so much good over there. He said that the people (civilians) over there are so happy to see our men and women. He also said that our military over there hurt to see the lack of support over here for what they are doing over there.

He also said he would go back over there if asked because he felt so strongly in what they were doing over there.

I don't know if this has helped, but I think about this guy a lot. We've heard from him and he's doing well. He tried to pay us back, we wouldn't take it, of course.

That experience taught us a lot. Personally, I've always believed in what we are doing over there-I've heard the nightmare stories of what Saddam Hussein has done to innocent people and I think it is wonderful that he has been removed from power and that our men and women have had something to do with that. They should be applauded as heroes.

I was also shocked by the lack of charity shown this young man-a veteran just back from the war-by everyone here, people on the street, businesses, churches, etc.

Anyway, I digress.

The point is, he believed in what he was doing there, and many others do too.