Senior Airman Bradley Levander Jr. stands with his father, Senior Master Sergeant Bradley Levander Sr., in the maintenance bay at the 315th Maintenance Squadron building on June 22, 2011 at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. Airman Levander is a non destructive inspection apprentice assigned to the 315th Maintenance Squadron while Sgt. Levander is a senior air reserve technician assigned to the 81st Aerial Port Squadron. (U.S. Air Force Photo/SSgt. Rashard Coaxum)
Senior Airman Bradley Levander Jr. dons his protective gear in preparation for the day's work on June 22, 2011 at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. Airman Levander is assigned to the 315th Maintenance Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. (U.S. Air Force Photo/SSgt. Rashard Coaxum)
Senior Airman Bradley Levander Jr. prepares the non destructive equipment cleaning station at his shop on June 22, 2011 at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. Airman Levander is assigned to the 315th Maintenance Squadron located at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. (U.S. Air Force Photo/SSgt. Rashard Coaxum)
Senior Master Sergeant Bradley Levander Sr. stands by while his son, Senior Airman Bradley Levander Jr., gives instruction on non destructive inspection procedures in the main bay at the 315th Maintenance Squadron located at Joint Base Charleston, S.C on June 22, 2011. Both Sgt. Levander and his son are assigned to the 315th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. (U.S. Air Force Photo/SSgt. Andrew Caya)
Senior Airman Bradley Levander Jr. explains to his father, Senior Master Sergeant Bradley Levander Sr., how part demagnification works at his work station on June 22, 2011 at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. (U.S. Air Force Photo/SSgt. Rashard Coaxum)
by Staff Sgt. Andrew Caya
914 Airlift Wing Public Affairs
6/29/2011 - Joint Base Charleston, S.C. -- Dodging enemy bullets and jumping out of perfectly good airplanes to render aid to combat wounded was "fun" to a younger Brad Levander.
During his 14 years as a U.S. Navy special forces medic, now Senior Master Sgt. Brad Levander found that a high deployment tempo with Marine Corps and Army Special Forces units made him miss out on raising his family.
"I was home on leave when Brad was a young boy, and he asked me to go to school with him for show and tell," Sergeant Levander said. "I had all sorts of trinkets, pictures and stories from my traveling around the world, so I asked Brad what he would like me to show his class and he said, ' Daddy, I don't want you to bring anything, I just want you to come to school so everyone sees I have a daddy.'
"That was gut-wrenching for a grown man to hear from his own son."
Despite transferring into the Air Force Reserve, earning the rank of Senior Master Sergeant and the position of senior Air Reserve Technician for the 81st Aerial Port Squadron here, Sergeant Levander is most pleased with his decision to leave active duty.
"Working in and being a part of the special forces community was fun ─ the stories are great, pictures are grand ─ but I missed out on being a father," Sergeant Levander said. "I elected to get out of the Navy and join the Air Force Reserve, and I haven't regretted it since day one."
When his son came to him with military aspirations of his own, Sergeant Levander balked at the thought.
" I discouraged him from joining the military, because I didn't want him to lose what I lost ... time with family. You never get that back," Sergeant Levander said.
Despite what his father experienced, now for Senior Airman Bradley Levander Jr., the desire for adventure could not be cast aside.
"If I wasn't so family oriented I would have followed more in the path my dad had gone," Airman Levander said. "If my family was not so close, I would have done something with more adrenaline."
After thinking about what was important to him and receiving counsel from his father, Brad Jr. joined the Air Force Reserve as a 315th Maintenance Squadron non-destructive inspector apprentice.
"My father considered himself a 'brat' of all services," Airman Levander said. "I wanted to be a part of the military, not just having grown up with it."
Sergeant Levander and his son may share the same name, however, the elder said "I only gave him the name. He's got his own path to walk."
