Ep 609: Attention Parents

Send us Fan MailPeaches 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.comRegister for Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.comJoin the Ones Ready membership for early access, members-only episodes, and exclusive content.Chapters:00:00 - Intro, Tasty Gains, and Operator Training Summit02:25 - Why This Episode Is for Parents02:45 - Meet Kaylon03:08 - Peaches and Kaylon at RAF Mildenhall03:41 - Security Forces and Military Working Dogs05:10 - EOD, K9 Handlers, and Career Field Banter06:12 - Mildenhall, Old Friends, and Trusting the Ones Ready Crew07:51 - Kaylon’s Military Family Background08:01 - Joining the Air Force After 9/1109:42 - Giving His Son the Chance to Try09:56 - His Son’s Interest in Special Operations11:26 - From Navy SEALs to Air Force Special Warfare12:27 - School, Homeschool, and Graduating Early14:45 - Mom’s Support and Military Spouse Reality18:28 - What Parents Should Know When They Are Nervous20:14 - Why Parents Should Use Ones Ready as a Resource22:32 - Prior Military Parents and Steering Your Kid24:35 - Training Around Special Tactics at Mildenhall25:24 - CCT or Bust and Not Building an Escape Hatch27:21 - Why Every Air Force Job Matters28:56 - The Reality of Security Forces Shifts31:50 - Life as a Dog Handler33:57 - The Ugly Side of Working Dogs34:48 - Helping His Son Build a Network36:52 - Physical Training and Keeping a 17-Year-Old Honest39:12 - Lessons From the TF Voodoo Rucking Episode41:20 - Trash Hips and Mobility Work41:57 - What It Was Like Arriving at Operator Training Summit44:53 - Parents Sending Young Candidates to OTS47:00 - OTS Is Instruction, Not a Smoke Session48:52 - Why “Just Show Up and Don’t Quit” Is Bad Advice49:20 - Why Kaylon Chose OTS Over Other Prep Camps50:25 - The Value of Real Instructors50:53 - Taylor Starch, Running Form, and Mobility55:10 - Advice for Parents Whose Kids Want to Join57:50 - Letting Your Kid Become Their Own Person01:01:37 - Recruiters, Contracts, and Ship Dates01:02:26 - Sitting Down With the Special Warfare Recruiter01:03:40 - TSP, Blended Retirement, and Money Lessons01:05:49 - Picking Battles in the Air Force01:07:55 - Kaylon’s Son at OTS01:08:32 - Why OTS Validated the Goal01:09:57 - Trent, Peaches, and Cadre Mentorship01:11:20 - Finding Holes in Training01:12:31 - Final Thoughts and Wrap-UpSupport the showJoin this channel to get access to perks: HEREBuzzsprout Subscription page:  HERERegister for our Operator Training Summit:  OperatorTrainingSummit.comFind an Air Force Recruiter: AirForce.comCollabs:Ones Ready - OnesReady.com 18A Fitness - Promo Code:  ONESREADY ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code):  ATACLeteDanger Close Apparel - Promo Code:  ONESREADYDFND Apparel...