WEBVTT

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(inspirational music)

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- My wife and I have always expressed

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on our children, Ashley our oldest

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and then Michael as far as serving,

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not necessarily telling them

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that they are gonna go into the military,

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but educating them on the
importance of serving.

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Serving the community,

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serving our country in
some way shape or form.

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So, whether it's wearing
a military uniform

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or wearing, you know, being a teacher

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or being a a public
servant in some capacity,

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that's what we raised 'em to be.

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So, I'm not necessarily surprised

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they wanted to go into the military

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because we kinda ingrained that

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in him from the very beginning.

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Michael was born when I
got back from Desert Storm.

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So that was probably,

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I was an E-6 at the time,

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that was an early part of my career,

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I was still with another unit,

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I was with the Air Force Reserves,

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I was a full time technician

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with the 919th Special Operations Group.

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So, Michael was a deployment baby,

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I ended up finding out about
four weeks into my deployment

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that my wife Michelle was
expecting our second child

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and that's how Michael came to be,

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so I got home just in
time for him to be born.

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So, it was great.

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Okay and I brought him
out to the air side,

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the International Guard
side, the 169 Fighter Wing,

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when he was younger and
he got to spend the day

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out on the flight line
with some of my old buddies

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and helped them with turnin' wrenches

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out there on the flight
line with their F-16s.

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So that was pretty eye opening for him,

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it was great for him to see other aspects

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of what we do, instead of what
his dad does all the time.

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And the guys that he hung
out with on the flight line

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were very helpful to him, you know,

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they showed him the ropes.

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But, when he was down on that flight line

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he looked across and he
saw the helicopters flying

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and from that point I could tell

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that that's what he wanted to be.

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- So I wanted to fly helicopters

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and we don't have those at McEntire

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on the Air Guard side at least.

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So, that's why I wanted to do that

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and I wanted to fix the helicopters

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and then wanted to fly them eventually.

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So I felt like I was
being called to serve,

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I wasn't sure in what aspect,

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whether that was as some
sort of first responder

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or the military, active
duty, Guard, I wasn't sure

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but I knew that I wanted to go
in that kind of career field.

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So, my dad being

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full time Guard,

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he took me out to McEntire
on the Air Guard side

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and he kinda showed me around,

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gave me the run down of all

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the different opportunities out there,

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I saw the jets of course
and really enjoyed that

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but yeah, just seein' the Guard there,

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I've had various family members
that served in the military.

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I've had a lot of family and non-family

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that served in the military

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so that kinda steered
me in that direction.

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- You know honestly, his future
depends entirely upon him.

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You know, sometimes being at

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the right place at the right
time makes up a big difference.

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He's definitely been in the
right place at the right time.

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And he's had people, you know,

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commanders looking out for him

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and offering opportunities
for him to take advantage of.

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You know, just because somebody gives you

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an opportunity, it's up to you

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to actually follow though with it

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and he's done that.

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- So my dad's also influenced me

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with not just joining the Guard

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and being able to see the
different sides of, you know,

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technician program or M-Day and all that

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but he's also influenced me

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by his work ethic

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so he is always been a go-getter,

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he's successful, he's detail
oriented and disciplined,

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so I've been able to see that,

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not just while I've been in the military

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but also growing up

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and so that's also helped
influence me, growing up

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and then also once I did
enlist and then commission.

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And that's helped guide me
through my career so far

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and through my life,

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you know I carry that with me everyday

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whenever I'm working or
just doing anything really.

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I think far too often,

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the spouses, the family
members back at home

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that aren't in the military,

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you know they're running
everything in the background.

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So all them, my dad's
service has influenced me,

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and my granddad's service has
influenced me in my career,

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so has the support from
other family members,

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like my grandmother, when I
look at all her support with

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you know, with my grandfather

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and then my mom

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with my dad's service.

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Everywhere the military has taken him,

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they've had a lot of
love and support there

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and I've been fortunate enough to find

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a same type of love and support
with my wife Melissa too.

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I think that is,

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or I know that is also
helped influence my career

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and where I'm trying to go.

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- He has had opportunities to learn from

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exceptional mentors, he
has had opportunities

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to learn where he saw people

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that may have not done so well,

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to learn as an example.

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He has experienced enlisted life,

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he has experienced cadet life,

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(chuckles)

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and he has experienced, now as a pilot,

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with responsibilities for an entire crew,

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as a father, I couldn't be more proud.

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(electronic whirring)