Face of Defense: Shared Service Increases Bond Between Father, Son
A father and son have enhanced their bonds with shared service in the National Guard.
"Service to others is what makes this country great," said Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Edward Snyder, 169th Fighter Wing public affairs superintendent. His military career spans 31 years.
Snyder enlisted in 1985 and spent four years on active duty. He then served six years with the Air Force Reserve, which led him to deploy in support of operations Just Cause, Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
In 1994, Snyder joined the South Carolina Air National Guard, where he still serves today.
A Call to Service
"I always wanted to join the military; I just did not know why," Snyder said. "I wanted to do something different, and I wanted to serve."
A commitment to serve is a Snyder family tradition. His wife, Michelle, serves as an elementary school teacher and supports a number of projects as a church volunteer. His daughter, Ashley, is a surgical technician who has been a patient care provider since graduating from high school in 2008 and says she feels privileged to take care of people in their time of medical need.
Snyder’s son, Michael, joined the South Carolina Army National Guard upon graduating from high school in 2010, and he completed the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot training program in August 2016.
"I think it's important for every American to serve in one capacity or another, whether as a public servant, first responder, medical professional or serving your community through church and volunteer programs," Snyder said.
Serving the Community
Serving the community is more than just an act of kindness in the Snyder family; it's their way of life and a responsibility they continue to accomplish each and every day, not just individually, but as a family.
"I am so very proud of my family and the sacrifices they make to support me during my years of military service," Snyder said. "It's even more humbling to me to see them recognize their individual callings to serve and to watch them do so unselfishly."
In 1991, three months into a deployment, Snyder got the call that he was going to be a father again.
"Michael was a surprise baby," he said.
Following Dad's Example
Little did Snyder know his son would follow in his footsteps.
"I always wanted to serve, which came from my father. Dad's tough love molded me for the military and made the transition easier," said Army 2nd Lt. Michael Snyder, who serves with Company A, 1-111th General Support Aviation Battalion.
Snyder would take his son on trips to McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Eastover, South Carolina, where he would learn about the fighter jets. Snyder didn't push the Air Force on Michael, but he knew his son wanted to be a pilot. That led Michael to pursue being a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot.
"I knew that I wanted to be a pilot, and my father encouraged me to join the National Guard. They helped me pay for some of my college at The Citadel and led me to become a pilot," Michael said.
Father's Pride
"Serving made my little boy into a man, and to do something I could never do myself -- learning how to fly helicopters," Snyder said.
Father and son occasionally grab lunch together at McEntire. "We now bond on another level because of the work we do in the National Guard," Michael said.