← Afterthought on The Military Family
Aug 12, 2022 · 54 min
How does the boot camp experience in the United States Army compare to other branches of the United States military? How does the US military prepare service members for civilian life once they retire? What are the similarities and differences between military service and foreign service careers? In this episode, listen to Edwin discuss his life, from being born in the United States to growing up in the Philippines, why he chose to enlist in the United States Army over other U.S. military branches, how his life in the U.S. military was, how and where he met his wife, and how he transitioned from the military into the foreign service industry. About the Guest: Edwin Estayo is a former colleague of Mami Redj when she was still employed under a foreign service agency. He is a supportive husband to his band vocalist wife, Jen, and a wonderful father to his lovely daughter, Maxine. He was born in Los Angeles, California, but spent most of his life in the Philippines. He's a young military veteran, and he's the first AMFP guest to represent the United States Army. He enjoys airsoft as a hobby. Why you’ve got to check out today’s episode: Discover how a military recruiter convinced a civilian into the United States Army. Listen to a U.S. Army serviceman's advice on how to handle the boot camp training Understand why Edwin would choose to reenlist in the U.S. Army despite the risks Check out these episode highlights: 01:16 - How “Dude!” and I met 03:41 - His growing up years in the Philippines and moving back to the U.S. 07:48 - How he decided to join the military 08:29 - His U.S. Military Recruitment Process 10:04 - Why he chose the U.S. Army over the other branches 12:19 - His Army boot camp experience 16:36 - His body type when he entered the boot camp and his dislike for running 17:39 - His unexpected experiences in the boot camp 19:09 - His first assignment doing air defense duties 20:47 - Basic combat and weapons training 22:37 - His airsoft experience before joining the service 23:58 - Was he ever deployed 24:58 - The importance of foreign language training 25:24 - His reason for leaving the service 26:55 - His love story made in Korea 33:19 - How he transitioned to Foreign Service 34:44 - Similarities and differences between military and foreign service 37:20 - How he adapted to civilian life 39:46 - Will he allow his daughter to join the military 41:35 - Will he encourage her 43:30 - The importance of military families to service members 48:06 - Coming out of retirement if the need arises 51:17 - Promoting his wife's band, Silk Guest Links: https://facebook.com/partybandsilk Connect with Mami Redj: https://facebook.com/mamiredjpodcast/ Do you want to hear more stories about military families? This is the podcast for you. You can listen to it wherever you are, and it’s completely free. Subscribe to our podcast on Spotify today. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the host and guests, and do not reflect the views, positions, and opinions of the U.S. Military, its Foreign Counterparts, and/or other entities they represent.