Military memories, cycles and family points of intersection

Spent this week at Fort Benning in Georgia doing some consulting for an Army group. Within an hour or so of coming on post, I went to refill the gas tank from the drive and ended up passing right by the barracks, the drop towers and the running track that were a part of my Airborne training more than 25 years ago, the last time I was at Fort Benning.

Got me thinking of the cycles and how things seem to come full circle when it comes to the military.

This past year was able to research a bit about my lineage in the military, with  aTucker serving in the Massachusetts Militia before the Revolutionary War and another Tucker losing a limb serving during the Civil War.

Grandpa Lehman spent some time at Ft. Lee, VA back during WWII era, when it was Camp Lee as an officer trainee. We used to go there during my pre-teen and teen years to watch fireworks every July 4th- I remember following the Yankee's Dave Righetti throwing a no-hitter one of those years- I see it was 1983 as I do a quick online search. And I would be back at Ft. Lee in 1995 going through Quartermaster Officer Basic myself as a 2nd Lieutenant.

My dad, Robin, had a substantially shorter military career than I have had, but we had plenty to discuss in common before his passing. He served as a behavioral medicine specialist (probably getting the title wrong), going through training at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio. As he recalled his experience there, I was able to determine that we walked the same halls at the top of the hill, where I did training as a private studying to become a medical lab technician in 1992. It was so hot, and I was glad I was not suffering in that heat as much as the combat medics in much tougher training down the hill.

He also served a stint at Fort Bliss, in El Paso, Texas. I had a short stay there in preparation for and then out processing after my Balkans tour in 2015-2016. Pretty warm place there, too! While there the first time, I took a picture of a couple of signs and buildings set aside for the Japanese Self Defense Forces (both Ground and Air).  It was of interest to me as I recalled Japanese SDF support during my Iraq tour as they provided air transportation during my (much longer than) 4 day pass to Qatar, and my son, Nathan was at the time serving his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Kobe Japan mission.

Japan was also a military connection with my father, unfortunately after his passing. He served a bit of time working in Okinawa. I yet been to Okinawa, but did get to meet with the JSDF and USARJ forces during a trip to Tokyo earlier this year as part of a larger study about USARPAC posture in the INDOPACOM region.