I grew up in a flying family, the son of an RCAF captain who saw action in the Second World War (leaflet missions count, too), and flying has always been an interest and passion of mine. I skipped military service. I did get through aircrew selection, but turned down the offer of training as a navigator to pursue a career in journalism. There’s not much point in second-guessing that decision and I can’t say I have any regrets. I have a beautiful family, and my attempts at writing and editing have landed me in this fine publication to combine, in my mind, the best of both worlds.

And while military service skipped a generation in my case, my youngest son has followed in the footsteps of his uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather, and donned a uniform. Assuming all goes well, he’ll be a fully-fledged Canadian Armed Forces pilot in a few years, after finishing university at Royal Military College. His older brother is looking at becoming a commercial pilot, although there’s some school work ahead of him, too. As a pilot, I’m green with envy. I gave up my shot at jets and the life of a pilot and, while there’s still a lot of flying ahead of me, I’ll never make my living at it. As a father, I confess to other thoughts.

I’ve written before about the archaic “system” that flings young, inexperience pilots into some of the most demanding and exhausting flying anywhere so they can “pay their dues.” It’s like taking a rookie construction worker and putting him or her in charge of a skyscraper. I’m also naturally concerned about my son, the Air Force pilot. What I can’t sort out in my own mind is whether he’ll be safer as a military pilot in the future than he would have been in the past.

Under successive Liberal governments, the military was decimated to the point where it was quite literally its own worst enemy. The Liberals’ discomfort with a strong military left it in a budgetary vacuum where equipment was neglected and the best people were forced out. As my youngest (he’s 21) enters the Air Force, he will be riding a wave of investment in the military. The Conservatives will be spending billions to ensure that he has the very latest equipment to fly. but it comes at a price. he Conservatives have also shown that they are more than willing to send our sons and daughters into harm’s way. At 21, my boy has the deep-seated belief in his own immortality that will send him happily wherever his country demands.

I think there’s a perception that a pilot’s death in war is somehow easier, even glamorous. But, as we are reminded by Grant Sheppard’s story (Forgotten War, Page 30 Nov/Dec 06 Issue), war, whether in the air, on the ground or at sea, is neither easy nor glamorous. It’s a terrifying, miserable experience that we just can’t seem to learn from.

As Nov. 11 approaches, its poignance has never been clearer and its impact never more personal. I wouldn’t dream of trying to stop either boy from pursuing his dreams (like it would do any good, anyway) and I’m proud of their accomplishments. But, just for fleeting moments, I wonder why they couldn’t be doctors or lawyers or teachers.

Russ Niles, Editor