Phyllis Grimes, Mom of SPC Antoine Grimes

Phyllis' son, Antoine, has served in the Army for several years. He lives on Post with his wife and son, while working at his Army job and studying for a college degree. And he's stayed in close contact with his mother every step of the way. To learn more about the Grimes family, read their story.

Training

What kind of training will my son or daughter receive?

"The job training Antoine's had since being in the Army has helped him a lot. Overall, I believe it has given him a specific goal to gear toward. It just gives him an opportunity to see one of the career choices that he's able to make either with the Army or out in the real world."

Money for College & More Benefits

What kinds of benefits does the Army provide?

"I just can't emphasize the educational assistance enough, because that's one of the staples of the Army—to give you an opportunity to get a career, get Army educational assistance, where you may not be able to afford it. So you don't have to worry about a bunch of loans or things to pay back; you just can kind of get your money and have it paid for and get your education."

Personal Growth

Is the Army a good option for my young adult?

"We of course had values growing up, but Antoine could choose to follow some of the ones I had or not. So it's really amazing that now he's focusing in on those Army values and it just makes a parent feel good that he has those values. It doesn't make any difference what job you have, if you have those values you're able to be successful."

Daily Life

What is a typical day on Post like?

"Antoine's happy with being on Post. When I visited him in Ft. Hood, he was off Post and he talked to me about having to drive back and forth to different appointments or having to get up early to get on Post. So now he's happy being on Post. I know my grandson is enrolled into a childcare facility right now, so that's one of the happy aspects. I think overall he and his wife are happy about living on Post."

Keeping in Touch

How will I communicate with my son or daughter?

"I talk to Antoine about once a week on the telephone. We talk quite frequently and we do a lot of e-mails with him and his wife also. So we stay in communication on a frequent basis and about once every six months we're able to visit in person, if either I'm going to his Post or wherever he's located, or he comes here for a little R&R."