A generation of patriots

link U.S. Air Force photo: Staff Sgt. Matthew Plew

Randy Germain, a retired U.S. Air Force petroleum, oils and lubricants technician, and his son, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ronald Germain, 27th Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron traffic management office, come from a family with an extensive military background. The father and son duo currently work at Cannon Air Force Base.

They can trace their roots further back than the Revolutionary War, to the arrival of the Mayflower and participation in the militia in Boston when the British tried unsuccessfully to impose new taxes on the American colonists. Since that first great American battle, from each generation came one or many volunteers to serve their country as members of the armed forces. This is the legacy of the Germain family.

Two members of this family, a father and son, are currently working at Cannon Air Force Base. Randy Germain is a retired U.S. Air Force petroleum, oils and lubricants technician later worked as a civilian contractor within the 27th Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron. His son, Staff Sgt. Ronald Germain, 27 SOLRS traffic management office, followed in his father’s footsteps and stepped up to proudly serve and protect his nation.

When listing the names of family members and where and when they served, Randy sounds akin to an extensively detailed history novel. The legacy and sheer number of those from his family tree who have served as patriots is so vast it can seem never ending.

“It’s a family tradition,” said Randy. “We serve our country because we love it and want to make America safe for everyone. I pretty much always wanted to be in the military ever since I was a little kid, so I joined the Air Force in 1986.”

Randy’s last assignment while on active duty was at Cannon, and he never left.

“When we first got here the initial plan was only to stay for a few years,” he explained. “This was our sixth base in 12 years. Then our kids got settled into the school system and they enjoyed it here. The area was nice and so were the people, so I turned down three sets of orders after I got here and applied to stay here until I retired.”

Ronald was 11 years old when his father got orders to go to Cannon and remained in the city of Clovis until he was 18 and answered the call of duty. To him, the “land of enchantment” is simply home. This is why he tried to get stationed back in the sunny state. For Ronald, the third time was the charm, and after spending time at two other bases, his request went through and he was granted a permanent change of station to Cannon.

Both jokesters, the two Germains have made use of the confusion sometimes caused by the similar names and shared squadron to create some humorous situations.

“It’s kind of funny when people call me and say they’ve got something for me and I realize they think they are talking to my son,” said Randy. “We get mixed up sometimes - people call him looking for me and call me looking for him. Depending on who it is, we can play with it.”

“It gets a little awkward when you joke with the wrong people,” Ronald chimed in with a grin. “Dad comes to the warehouse every now and then and we just pick fun at each other. It used to weird everyone out - they were like, ‘who’s this guy?’ Not all of them knew he was my dad, but they do now.”

Time spent in the service has also allowed the Germain family to remain close, even through periods of separation. In fact, it has provided opportunities for them to visit each other in the most unexpected times and places. For example, Ronald was able to meet with his brother, a member of the U.S. Army, while both were deployed in two separate locations.

“He was in Afghanistan and got to take some R&R [rest and relaxation], and it just so happened that I was in Kuwait,” said Ronald of his brother. “We had been emailing each other and he told me he would be in transit through Kuwait on his way to take leave; so for days on end I was bugging the people at the air terminal asking if this guy was on the roster, and finally I got a hit. It was really good timing. We hung out for a couple hours - the only time he had. It was such a cool moment. I also got to see him on his way back to Afghanistan.”

In a family that bleeds red, white and blue, sacrifice inevitably comes into play and it’s usually in the form of distance from loved ones. For the moment, Ronald and his father are grateful to have the opportunity to serve in the same area.

“I’m glad to have him here, but I know he’ll get orders to leave someday,” said Randy about his son. “It’s inevitable. For now though, it’s great having him home.”