FORT BENNING, Ga. - The saying "like father, like son" is an apt phrase to describe PFC Alan Smith Jr. and his 19-year-old son, PVT Alan Smith III. Both have competitive streaks. Both want to be Infantrymen. And both began one station unit training this week with the 3rd Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade.
"I always wanted to join the military," said the elder Smith. "I started my family young, raised them and was ready to serve. I started looking into it to give (my son) the college money."
A month after signing on as an Infantryman, PFC Smith watched his son join the military as well. Neither expected to attend OSUT together but when they arrived at the military entrance processing station they were given the same ship date.
"It's pretty cool to have him here," the father said.
The younger Smith said he looks forward to the competition between father and son.
"The competition will help us get through it," PVT Smith said. "I've got him in running and sit-ups but he does better on the push-ups."
"He runs like a gazelle," said his father. "He wants to put the old man away but I can pull my own. He's going to have to step up his game a bit."
CPT James Gerling, operations officer for the 30th Adjutant General Battalion (Reception) said it is common for relatives coming from the same location and reporting to reception together to be placed in the same training unit but the father-son team is a first for him.
The Smiths' drill sergeants, SFC Ryan Osbourne and SSG Jason Romo, said there are challenges and benefits to having a father-son duo.
"The challenge for them will be separating that family tie and actually being able to accomplish their tasks without having to rely on family," Romo said. "For us, the challenge will be to keep their minds straight so if the son gets in trouble, the father doesn't try to interact with him. He has to let his son deal with his own problems. The father has to let his son grow up here."
Romo said the benefit of the two training together is that they can rely on each other for morale support.
"The father can set a good example for his son to follow," Osbourne said.
The company graduates June 4.
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