Proud dad... 🥲

[JohnnySweden]

After 15 grueling months my little boy finished Ranger school, a voluntary choice instead of the destinated 7 months of regular conscripted national service.


Worn out after 11 days in the wilderness living off the land in the huge still snowy forests of northern Sweden during the final survival training.

Objective was (besides sustaining oneself) to locate fellow soldiers, cooperate and avoid getting caught by the enemy.


The newly approved Rangers celebrated their achievement with a battlecry...


The long awaited insignia was awarded on location by the evaluating commanding officers.

As relatives we are invited to join the ceremonies at F7 Såtenäs the 25:th on April when the Ranger berets are presented to the newly commissioned Rangers.

Now he's starting to get his act together to collecting merits in order to achieve admission into the National Defence University in Carlsberg Combat School as a junior officer the upcoming years.

 

[brian747]

Well done to your son,
a credit to you Sir,
atb brian

 

[Riggs]

I can’t imagine how proud you are, what an amazing feeling it must be!

 

[Gummage]

Well done that young man

 

[DonnyJonny]

 

[pjgtech]

Congrats to your Son and I'm sure you are as proud as can be.....

 

[foxbat]

Fantastic. Congratulations to your lad and to you for doing a great Dad job.

 

[Rudolph Hucker]

Well done that man so you should be proud aswell mate

...... If Carlsberg made Combat school
..... Ah shaddup, someone was going to say it

 

[Audi Swift]

Cool. Fair play to you're lad and you.
All the best to him.

 

[Wing Commander]

He's a very big little boy.... but Dads can be proud of their boys however big they are.

 

[Perlogalism]

What an achievement. You've every right to feel proud of him.

 

[crissdee]

Hearty congrats all round!

 

[Craftysod]

Well done & a proud father you should be
We need that in our country

 

[Margaret13]

Well done to your son

 

[JohnnySweden]

Thank you all!!

Here's some pics from the past


Here he is with my CZ200T and this pic was used as a subscription advertisemet for the Swedish firearms magazine "Vapentidningen", that I wrote articles in some 15-20 years ago.


Some time later he wanted his own gun and at that tender age it had to be an air rifle. However he wanted a good looking one (in his view), it took some time to figure out that this was a "tactical" gun so it became the Tac6 rifle.


I visited some competitions back then and wrote about them in the magazine. Erik tried his luck competing but the Tac6 was to large for him and not really accurate enough for the task. So I purchased my Crosman 1701 and built a tiny competition gun for him..


He used that tiny Crosman for several years and today it's a part of my bullpup basement rifle.


He did have some success but quit competition when he turned 15 and joined the Junior National Home Guard in his spare time instead.


At 15 he joined a shooting club and borrowed my old 1022. He have always loved the 1022 and said that when he turned 18 he would buy his very own one, and he would buy it from Hjalmar at our local gunshop "Björns Jakt o Fiske", why this I did not yet know...


Then 20 years old, after moving into his own flat with his girl, getting his drivers license and buying his first car he could at last save up to one of his dream guns - the Hera Nordic PCC to be used in IPSC in the future, here with his own 1022 too (I gifted him my old Houge-stock, a favorite of his, when he bought his own 1022).

 

[stevetw]

You must be a very proud Dad, congratulations and well done to your son

 

[JohnnySweden]

Well done & a proud father you should be
We need that in our country

One of his role models was my late father, his grandfather, who had a military career in the Air Force during the 1950s.


My dad as an aviator in the Swedish Air Force

They bonded from his your age and dads "Don't be anybody, be somebody"-attitude and constant support for Erik and interest in the armed forces in general guided him along the road..


My father bought him a vanity uniform for one of his birthdays and he always used it together with sunglasses?!

Why I didn't understand until it fell over my mind one day I when I noticed dad's old photo from his days in the service on his desk in his working room - Erik just wanted to look the part but didn't have his own pilot glasses...


One of the last pics of my father before his passing. Erik had just gotten his drivers license and collected him at the hospice for taking him on a spin.

Dad asked him about if he had made any choices for his national service yet and if he was ready to serve in armed forces.

-"Nope", Erik said..."the army is not for me"

Dad looked at him silent in an understanding and respectful manner...

-"I will join the Air Force, and I will succeed"

Dad sat silent for a while then he replied:

-"A good choice."

Two weeks later he passed away peacefully in his bed.

 

[Jesterdog]

Congratulations to your son

 

[JohnnySweden]

A few days ago he called me delighted and informed me his got employment as a professional soldier in the Air Force.

He will finish his conscripted period the 5:th of June and start studying the 3:rd of August at the Defence Police Academy.

Now awaits 6 month theoretical studies followed by 6 months practice - then he will work for 24 months according to the contract as a military police in a Parameter Protection Unit at his regiment (F7 Såtenäs) guarding the area against intruders or thieves to protect VVA (Very Valuable Assets), in his case the airplanes Hercules and JAS 37 Griffin.

However....

Yesterday I got a cryptic text message:

"Life's too short to drive a Toyota"

Kind of puzzled but I do drive a Toyota Yaris Hybrid and he wasn't particular keen on driving that car when he practiced for his drivers license a few years ago.

He have always had a special affection for the gen 4, second version Ford Mustang, a slightly odd choice since most Mustang fans tend to lean towards gen 5/6 or the 1965-71 models.

I thought he would buy one of those when he turned 18 and got his drivers license but instead he went for a sensible Toyota Auris.

-"The Mustang was too expensive" he said, when I asked him about it and "I won't borrow money to buy a car". Then there has been not much talk on the subject.

Until yesterday....


A green metallic 2004 GT with 60.000 km.

Then came the pic, he had actually went off and purchased one!? I think he feared I would criticize him for spending a lot of money in such a car, since I'm a frugal and responsible old git so then texted an explanation;

-"One day I will marry (his girlfriend) buy a house and raise a family, then I might not be able to keep it, even less likely buying a similar, at that stage of life.

But now I'm 21, the summer is due and this year I will cruise the wheels of that d**n car!

This is my moment in time, I bought my dream rifle when I got accepted as Ranger and I said to myself that if I would sort this out with an approved discharge I would buy my dream car with my duty salary and the examination bonus - and that I did!"

So, I had to call him and calm him with the fact that I had no objections about either his purchase nor his choice of car..

-"You have played your cards perfect and achieved so much. You left school with decent grades, you choosed Ranger School to find your limits and got a honorable discharge for your service, passing the final trails and exercises. You're earned your salary and of course you're free to spend it as you wish. You're an adult, you've got a beautiful and delightful girlfriend and a fine flat - enjoy life and your new wheels"

* As conscripted in the National Defence Service all enlisted persons, regardless of the kind of duty called for, earn £480 a month. After a 12 month service it's equal to £5760. Food, sleeping arrangements and transport is free of charge. Your regular home is fully paid for by the Government while in service. If you finish your service honorable and with good enough proficiency/knowledge for your given or choosen duty you will be awarded with a discharge bonus of £6000

Soon summer will come with 20 hours daylight!

 

[JonnieP]

That’s a definite proud dad moment. Congratulations to you and a big well done to your son.