Hey Mule, you should be real proud of your son.
Gets me to thinking, i have not known anything but the military, my father and mother both served, me dad did 30+years, me mam did 5 but was put in a position where she wasn't allowed to stay in(due to the fact that she married me dad and in them days the "lady" had to give way., my brother served 16 years(R.I.P.) I did 9 years, my two uncles both served(paras and crap hats), both me grancha and me grandad did service, (with all the appropriate medals)
I am so proud of our family history and it don't matter what people say, soldiers are needed and without them we would be up shit creek without a paddle, even the do-gooder parade , if they delved deep enough, would realise this.
I knoww you will be worried for him, but just be there for him when you can and take great pride in the fact that he is doin a job that not alot would,, Respect Mark/reload