Parents' Stories
Finding His Own Way
The Air National Guard helps a young man develop confidence.Kathy Jerome always knew how important it was for her sons to become self-sufficient, and that meant more to her than finding a stable job. She wanted them to think for themselves; to be confident in their ability to manage their own lives.
So when her youngest son, Eric, announced that he was considering a career in the Military, she offered her support while he thought things through.
“Even though I was nervous – I was a little scared about it – I knew it was good for Eric. I knew that he would come out of it being a better person and being a better man,” said Kathy. “Go where you feel your choice is going to be good for you, and make it an adventure. Every day is an adventure.”
Eric didn’t take this decision lightly – a decision that would change the course of his life. In fact, he took six months to make his choice, with his mother’s support every step of the way. After meeting with a recruiter and discussing options with family and friends, Eric decided to enlist in the Air National Guard. He left for Basic Training less than two months later.
“The day that we did have to bring him down to the airport and say goodbye, I felt like I was abandoning my child, because he was going to boot camp,” said Kathy. “He borrowed somebody’s phone at the airport, because he knew he wasn’t going to be able to talk to me. He just wanted to tell me that he loved me and say thank you because I supported him. And he said,“I’m going to make you proud, Mom.”
That’s quite an understatement.
“And when he said that, I [cried] all over again. Because he’s made me proud just making a decision like that,” Kathy said with tears welling up in her eyes. “When he went in, not knowing what he was going to do with his life, he was lost. He was a typical kid that was lost. But he made this decision.”
Kathy was not able to see her son Eric while he was at Basic Training. They communicated through letters during this time, and she began to lean on her support network of family, friends, and her church congregation. Then in December, Kathy and the rest of the Jerome family flew to spend Christmas with Eric and to witness his graduation from Basic.
“Transformation is the biggest and best word you can use. On Christmas day when I saw him, he wasn’t the little boy I sent to boot camp. He was such a man. “And the manners,” Kathy said proudly. “I knew they were in there somewhere, and the Military brought it out,” Kathy said proudly.
Eric’s graduation was a special day for Kathy.
“Seeing him graduate, I was just so proud of him,” she said. “Because look at this kid who’s turned into a man, in a matter of weeks. It was like the kid you always wanted. You wondered back when they were teenagers and the “where’d I go wrong” thing. You didn’t go wrong. It was just a phase like everyone said. But, yes, transformation, absolutely. And he likes the transformation. He’s happier with himself.”
Eric is now an airman first class and is continuing his training in technical school.
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