Ties that bind

  • Published
  • By Capt. Shannon Mann
  • 916th Public Affairs Office
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Some reservists come to drill to get a little away time from their normal lives. A different kind of weekend getaway with no household chores and no demands of family life for two days. But for two members of the 916th Maintenance Group, drill weekends actually mean they get to see their family 

Senior Airman Corey Lawson and his father, Staff Sgt. Jack Lawson live in Virginia on opposite ends of the state, but once a month they are able to reunite on the flight line of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. This father-son duo are crew chiefs in the 916th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and joined the Reserve tanker wing in 2007. 

Sergeant Lawson has a military career that dates back to 1981, but because of military downsizing he had a long break in service before joining the Air Force Reserve in 2007. He admits that he really missed his military service and was trying to get back into the military before his son even started thinking about a military career. 

"I just wanted back in," said Sergeant Lawson. "I didn't care where." While Corey was at basic military training his father got the call that a position had opened up in the North Carolina wing. "I thought that's where Corey was going too, but wasn't sure." As fate would prevail, both ended up at the 916th Air Refueling Wing. 

"I'm ecstatic to have him in the military," said Sergeant Lawson. "I taught both my children mechanics since they were young, teaching them different tools from the time they were little." 

Airman Lawson took the mechanics lessons to heart and became a mechanic in his civilian profession as well as his military one. "I always liked working on things with my dad." Although Airman Lawson said that they don't work much together on the flight line they do get to see each other in the office and outside the maintenance hangar on drill weekends. 

And while they are not too far from each other in rank, the other crew chiefs ensure to give the junior Lawson a hard time. "They're always teasing me saying 'your dad's got rank on you so you better listen.'" 

Listening to his father has paid off so far with a love for maintenance, a bright military career and a huge bonus of being able to spend some quality father-son time once a month while serving their nation together.