Oakleaf, your comment about how your parents made you feel really brought home my decision to accept my son's decision to join the Marines. I still didn't like it, but I couldn't reject my son. With almost six years perspective, we are as close as ever. Perhaps it also has to do with the fact he has made the decision that he will be done in 2 years and go back to school, but there have also been several other things that he has said recently that reflect the values he was brought up with. Eventually, they come to the surface and I feel like my parenting skills have been validated.