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Generations serving together, bonding during deployment

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Shad Eidson
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  When a father entered the Air Force years ago, he never thought that one day he'd be working side by side with his son at a deployed location.

That's exactly what happens every day when father and son duo, Tech. Sgt. Christopher Bond and Senior Airman Benjamin Bond, start their shift as KC-135 Stratotanker crew chiefs with the 340th Aircraft Maintenance Unit at a base in Southwest Asia.

"It's great to work together every day and see how smart my son has become as a man," said Sergeant Bond.

This is the first time that both father and son have deployed together from the Air Force Reserve's 434th Air Refuel Wing near Bunker Hill, Ind.

Following in his father's footsteps wasn't in Airman Bond's initial plans. School was more interesting to the young adult with a bright future.

"School was my only focus," said Airman Bond. But eventually he followed not only in the footsteps of his father but his grandfather, who also served with the same unit. Sergeant Bond once served with his own father Tech. Sgt. (retired) James Bond for ten years.

Both father and son had similar beginnings with the Air Force Reserve unit starting in the traditional reserves before switching over to be full-time Air Reserve Technicians to work every weekday on the KC-135 aircraft at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind.

"My father has been a big influence in everything I do," said Airman Bond.

The two butt heads occasionally on the job, but they both acknowledged the deployment is a special opportunity highlighting the great legacy of the KC-135 and the incredible efforts of the Air Force maintenance community to keep the tanker flying.

The two are not alone here as a family team. Postal aerial mail terminal chief Staff Sgt. Kim Parks is spending time with her oldest daughter as she starts her first deployment of her Air Force career.

Airman 1st Class Monique Fuller is a datalink specialist with the 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron here.

"We get to see each other frequently. My daughter has her job and I have mine, but we find time," said Sergeant Parks.

Raised as an Air Force dependent, Airmen Fuller originally had no intention of spending more time with the military telling her where to go. After some time in college, she realized that the Air Force had done a great job taking care of her family.

"The Air Force is really a big family, and that is how I feel about my team back at Aviano (Air Base, Italy)," said Airman Fuller.

"Family is important. I am so proud of her for making her choices and watching her at her job, which is something I never thought I would see as we are assigned at different bases," said Sergeant Parks. "I'm excited she picked something challenging. She was in the top of her class, so I know what ever she does she will be good at it."

Airman Fuller's goals are to master her duty tasks here on her first deployment and to make her Air Force career kick off with a great start.

"I'm glad my mother is here. I felt like I was going to home away from home here," Airman Fuller said.

Keeping family connected when far apart was hard at her first duty station, but that isn't affecting her on this first deployment. Her mother is a big help, but her coworkers are just as much family and help the time pass.

Her father, Senior Master Sgt. (retired) Ronald Parks, is glad that both are deployed together, said Sergeant Parks.