Ep 609: Attention Parents

Send us Fan Mail Peaches sits down with Kaylon, a former Air Force Security Forces military working dog handler, dog trainer, and father of a 17-year-old preparing for Air Force Special Warfare. This episode is for the parents. Kaylon talks about his time as a Security Forces K9 handler at RAF Mildenhall, his deployment experience, working explosive detection dogs, and eventually transitioning into professional dog training. But the real focus of this conversation is what it feels like as a parent when your kid says, “I want to join the military,” and then starts looking at Air Force Special Warfare. They talk about how Kaylon’s son went from considering Navy SEALs to discovering Combat Control, how the family handled that decision, why his mom supports him even while being nervous, and what parents should do when they do not fully understand the path their kid wants to take. Kaylon also breaks down why he sent his son to Operator Training Summit, what the experience did for him, how the cadre helped expose holes in his training, and why the event gave his son more confidence that this is the path he wants. If your son or daughter is talking about CCT, PJ, TACP, Special Reconnaissance, or any other military path that makes you nervous, this episode is a great place to start. Check out Tasty Gains: TastyGains.com Register for Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Join the Ones Ready membership for early access, members-only episodes, and exclusive content. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro, Tasty Gains, and Operator Training Summit 02:25 - Why This Episode Is for Parents 02:45 - Meet Kaylon 03:08 - Peaches and Kaylon at RAF Mildenhall 03:41 - Security Forces and Military Working Dogs 05:10 - EOD, K9 Handlers, and Career Field Banter 06:12 - Mildenhall, Old Friends, and Trusting the Ones Ready Crew 07:51 - Kaylon’s Military Family Background 08:01 - Joining the Air Force After 9/11 09:42 - Giving His Son the Chance to Try 09:56 - His Son’s Interest in Special Operations 11:26 - From Navy SEALs to Air Force Special Warfare 12:27 - School, Homeschool, and Graduating Early 14:45 - Mom’s Support and Military Spouse Reality 18:28 - What Parents Should Know When They Are Nervous 20:14 - Why Parents Should Use Ones Ready as a Resource 22:32 - Prior Military Parents and Steering Your Kid 24:35 - Training Around Special Tactics at Mildenhall 25:24 - CCT or Bust and Not Building an Escape Hatch 27:21 - Why Every Air Force Job Matters 28:56 - The Reality of Security Forces Shifts 31:50 - Life as a Dog Handler 33:57 - The Ugly Side of Working Dogs 34:48 - Helping His Son Build a Network 36:52 - Physical Training and Keeping a 17-Year-Old Honest 39:12 - Lessons From the TF Voodoo Rucking Episode 41:20 - Trash Hips and Mobility Work 41:57 - What It Was Like Arriving at Operator Training Summit 44:53 - Parents Sending Young Candidates to OTS 47:00 - OTS Is Instruction, Not a Smoke Session 48:52 - Why “Just Show Up and Don’t Quit” Is Bad Advice 49:20 - Why Kaylon Chose OTS Over Other Prep Camps 50:25 - The Value of Real Instructors 50:53 - Taylor Starch, Running Form, and Mobility 55:10 - Advice for Parents Whose Kids Want to Join 57:50 - Letting Your Kid Become Their Own Person 01:01:37 - Recruiters, Contracts, and Ship Dates 01:02:26 - Sitting Down With the Special Warfare Recruiter 01:03:40 - TSP, Blended Retirement, and Money Lessons 01:05:49 - Picking Battles in the Air Force 01:07:55 - Kaylon’s Son at OTS 01:08:32 - Why OTS Validated the Goal 01:09:57 - Trent, Peaches, and Cadre Mentorship 01:11:20 - Finding Holes in Training 01:12:31 - Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up Support the show Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com Find an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.com Collabs: Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY DFND Apparel...