SEALKidSis
Unverified
I've quite possibly already blown it by using SEAL in my username, though I swear I am wholly entitled to the "Kid" and "Sis" modifiers therein! To explain:
My father was DMCM (Ret) (SEAL) Thomas E. Blais, USN. He passed away two weeks ago, on 6 July 2014. Pop graduated UDTR classes 4 AND 16 - to my knowledge the only guy to go through training twice - and served in UDT 2/21/22 and SEAL Team 2, and was the longest serving Head Instructor while all training was East Coast. I was well and truly raised as a UDT/SEAL brat. He taught me to swim while simultaneously teaching drownproofing, ie: threw me in the pool with a bunch of students who were attempting to extricate themselves from being bound hand and foot and said "That's my daughter. Save her." (I was three. Thank the Lord, they moved fast.) For more on Pop's background, I could give you a link to his obit, but I fear that would be inappropriate for such a new member. Maybe later?
My brother Rock (LCDR Rock E. Blais, USN, SEAL) followed in our father's footsteps. (We'd been raised with a perpetual "Hell Week", so it was apparently not too far a leap.) Rock also served at SEAL Team 2, SDVs and others I can't immediately recall. He was attached to SOCOM in Florida in 2001 when he passed away jumping into Raymond James Stadium for practice the day before the Tampa Bay Buc's home opener.
My personal military connection (beyond the aforementioned) was a twelve year marriage to a USNA grad Supply type. I was there from his 0-2 to 0-5 ranks. (Please forgive me this colossal lack in judgement and try not to hold it against me in our future interactions. Mea culpa.)
I've known that my sister in law (via Rock) is active on this site for some time. In a recent web search, I saw the link for a thread honoring Pop and his passing. I wanted to comment with my thanks for all of the sentiments of condolence...so here I am.
In my experience, folks in any way connected to Spec Ops tend to function as a family. I just thought it'd be nice to visit mine here. :) Thanks for the opportunity.
My father was DMCM (Ret) (SEAL) Thomas E. Blais, USN. He passed away two weeks ago, on 6 July 2014. Pop graduated UDTR classes 4 AND 16 - to my knowledge the only guy to go through training twice - and served in UDT 2/21/22 and SEAL Team 2, and was the longest serving Head Instructor while all training was East Coast. I was well and truly raised as a UDT/SEAL brat. He taught me to swim while simultaneously teaching drownproofing, ie: threw me in the pool with a bunch of students who were attempting to extricate themselves from being bound hand and foot and said "That's my daughter. Save her." (I was three. Thank the Lord, they moved fast.) For more on Pop's background, I could give you a link to his obit, but I fear that would be inappropriate for such a new member. Maybe later?
My brother Rock (LCDR Rock E. Blais, USN, SEAL) followed in our father's footsteps. (We'd been raised with a perpetual "Hell Week", so it was apparently not too far a leap.) Rock also served at SEAL Team 2, SDVs and others I can't immediately recall. He was attached to SOCOM in Florida in 2001 when he passed away jumping into Raymond James Stadium for practice the day before the Tampa Bay Buc's home opener.
My personal military connection (beyond the aforementioned) was a twelve year marriage to a USNA grad Supply type. I was there from his 0-2 to 0-5 ranks. (Please forgive me this colossal lack in judgement and try not to hold it against me in our future interactions. Mea culpa.)
I've known that my sister in law (via Rock) is active on this site for some time. In a recent web search, I saw the link for a thread honoring Pop and his passing. I wanted to comment with my thanks for all of the sentiments of condolence...so here I am.
In my experience, folks in any way connected to Spec Ops tend to function as a family. I just thought it'd be nice to visit mine here. :) Thanks for the opportunity.
... and have witnessed the depths of her insanity while she did something with inflatable farm animals in the street in Lower Manhattan :wall:
