It's all relative: Wing husband and wife team enlist their children into the Reserve

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Sherri Savant
  • 917th Wing Public Affairs
Barksdale AFB, La. --  Hands were raised, and allegiance sworn to their country as proud parents looked on.

Majs. Mark and Susan Geer, both members of the 917th Wing, enlisted their children into the military, Kasie (Mark's daughter) to the Naval Reserve, and Josh (Susan's son) into the Air Force Reserve, Monday, Oct. 23, at the recruiting center on Mansfield Road in Shreveport, La.

The children begin a fourth generation of military service to their country.

Susan's father, Charles Edward Gray Jr., piloted the B-47 aircraft for 10 years and flew combat missions out of Turkey, the United Kingdom, Alaska and Japan. In 1967, he became a Psychological Operations intelligence officer under General Westmoreland in Saigon. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1978 with 24 years of service to the Air Force.

Susan's grandfather, Clifford Gordon Blitch, also served in the military as a doctor. He retired in 1955 as a colonel in the Army after 30 years of service. Retired Col. Blitch served as the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital commander of the Pacific campaign during World War II, and was the commander of the Army Gorgas Hospital in the Panama Canal Zone.

Kasie and Josh enter military service with great pride.

"It makes me proud to be able to carry on the family tradition," Kasie said. "I have always wanted to be just like my parents and to feel the same pride they feel every time they put on the uniform. Hopefully, I can, but through a Naval career."

"I know the military is hard work, but I always see the smile on my parents' faces after a long day's work serving their country," Josh said. "I knew if there was one thing I could do for the rest of my life and be happy, it would be to serve my country."

Kasie, 18, and a graduate of Haughton High School, currently attends Louisiana Tech University. She will enter basic military training Nov. 20, and will finish her technical training in March 2007 as a master of arms (military police).

Josh, 18, graduates from Southwood High School in December. He will drill with the 717th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron as an aircraft armament systems mechanic after attending BMT and technical training beginning in January.

"I would like to grow up and mature and close a chapter of my life as a kid and open a new chapter as a man," Josh said. "Also--this will help me get my dream truck--an F-250 diesel and to help me with my college tuition."

"This is definitely going to be a new chapter in my life," Kasey said. "I hope to gain the opportunity to serve my country and to (also) get some help for my college tuition."

"This is such an honor for both of us, not only with the opportunity to show our pride for our country, our relatives and especially our children, but also to know that they respect us as parents so much that they would want to follow in our footsteps," Maj. (Susan) Geer said.

Editor's Note: Kasie did not ship with the Navy as planned. Instead, she enlisted in the Air Force Reserve, more specifically, the 917th Wing's Maintenance Squadron as a maintenance management analysis apprentice. She and Josh will graduate from technical school the same day, July 2, 2007.