Generations of Service

Professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction, this Air Force publication profiles twenty-one families serving multiple generations in the U.S. Air Force. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then certainly any parent, brother, sister or cousin, aunt or uncle is honored to see a loved family member follow in his or her footsteps to military service. In old Europe it was traditionally the second son, since only the eldest could inherit the land. But in America the opportunity is there for any fledgling to dream, "I want to serve in the Air Force, just like my Uncle/Brother/ Grandfather Bob." Few are more aware of the demands of military service than those who serve, so to have a loved one make the commitment can be bittersweet—on the one hand a joy and honor; on the other the knowledge that it can be too frequently a tough way to make a living.

In this short study you will meet several such families, and you will learn about their relationships and the reasons some have seen a clear path that has been forged by the generations ahead of them. Myriad reasons motivate these multiple generations of Airmen, some of which are clearly expressed, while others are just felt: honor, pride, responsibility, patriotism, courage. The author herself is experiencing the family tie of common service: she served as an active duty, now reserve, officer; her husband served as an active duty enlisted man and officer and is now an Air Force civilian. Her grandfathers served during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam; and as of the writing of this foreword, her brother-in-law is in the process of enlisting.

Generational succession, legacies if you will, are certainly not unusual in the Air Force, or the other services for that matter. The twenty-one families you will meet in the pamphlet only scratch the surface. They represent a much larger body—one that serves the nation, subordinates its personal desires to the greater good, and makes history every day. We are confident you will find their stories interesting and uplifting.