I was coming back from visiting Florida on vacation with my SO (I was born raised there). I'm in the Atlanta airport for a layover, I go to mens room, and when I'm finished, as I'm headed to wash my hands, I get stopped by gentleman.
I'll paint you a picture: I'm 29, and short. 5'3". Hair buzzed to 1/2", full beard but kept squared away. I'm tan, my arms were visible and are scarred up from mileage (dumb kid adventures, fighting, domestic violence, and over a decade of fieldwork). I was wearing flip flops, blue board shorts and a white tshirt (cut me some slack! I spent the morning before the flights at the pool!). My daily and carryon bag, that I was carrying, was a 5.11 rush MOAB 10. I love that bag. I was wearing a plain green hat with an American flag patch. None of my tattoos were visible.
The gentlemen, dead serious, but with a smile, asks who I work for, and says he understands if I can't say. I was TOTALLY thrown off guard. I'm sure my face betrayed it. It took a minute for it to sink in what he was even asking. In no way would I guess in a million years that someone would pick ME out of a crowd at an airport and ask something like that. I had to tell him no no, I'm sorry, I'm just a civilian from a military family, who has never served, himself; I'm a scientist who does a lot of fieldwork, sometimes in some "interesting" places, and loves his country, but nothing more.
He keeps smiling and says he's just retired from the Air Force and that, well, I definitely look like I could fit the part. I washed up, shook his hand and said thank you and my deepest gratitudes for your service, sir.
My girlfriend was right outside and could somewhat here the exchange. As soon as I walked out she was like "Did that guy just ask if you were, like, paramilitary???"
This happened over a month ago, but for some reason the interaction REALLY stuck with me for some reason, especially given my family history of service. I was very very humbled. Anyway, just wanted to share.
I'll paint you a picture: I'm 29, and short. 5'3". Hair buzzed to 1/2", full beard but kept squared away. I'm tan, my arms were visible and are scarred up from mileage (dumb kid adventures, fighting, domestic violence, and over a decade of fieldwork). I was wearing flip flops, blue board shorts and a white tshirt (cut me some slack! I spent the morning before the flights at the pool!). My daily and carryon bag, that I was carrying, was a 5.11 rush MOAB 10. I love that bag. I was wearing a plain green hat with an American flag patch. None of my tattoos were visible.
The gentlemen, dead serious, but with a smile, asks who I work for, and says he understands if I can't say. I was TOTALLY thrown off guard. I'm sure my face betrayed it. It took a minute for it to sink in what he was even asking. In no way would I guess in a million years that someone would pick ME out of a crowd at an airport and ask something like that. I had to tell him no no, I'm sorry, I'm just a civilian from a military family, who has never served, himself; I'm a scientist who does a lot of fieldwork, sometimes in some "interesting" places, and loves his country, but nothing more.
He keeps smiling and says he's just retired from the Air Force and that, well, I definitely look like I could fit the part. I washed up, shook his hand and said thank you and my deepest gratitudes for your service, sir.
My girlfriend was right outside and could somewhat here the exchange. As soon as I walked out she was like "Did that guy just ask if you were, like, paramilitary???"
This happened over a month ago, but for some reason the interaction REALLY stuck with me for some reason, especially given my family history of service. I was very very humbled. Anyway, just wanted to share.
