An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Face of Defense: Airborne Service Runs in Army Family

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.

All across the world there are family professions passed down from generation to generation, and while these can range from farming to large-scale business corporations, for the Travis family, it's jumping out of an aircraft, ready to take the fight to the enemy.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Thomas Travis joined the Army in 1984. He is a jumpmaster and rotary wing advisor for U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command and has approximately 126 jumps from various aircraft. Thirty-one years later, his son Josh has followed in his footsteps.

"Our family's military history goes all the way back to a Norman chief named Travers who crossed the channel with William the Conqueror," Tom Travis said. "In the U.S., our family fought in the Revolution, the war for Texas independence, both sides of the Civil War; and my father and uncle fought in WWII in the Pacific."

Pvt. Joshua Travis joined the Army in 2015 and is now a parachute rigger here after deciding that, like his father before him, he too would continue the military legacy of the Travis family.

"It’s part of the family business,” Tom Travis said. “There's a long tradition of military in our family, so I'm honored that he decided to take this route."

The elder Travis said he recalls his son expressing an interest in the military early on; Josh told him; "I want to be in the Army and fly like you do."

Jumping Together

"My dad was my inspiration to join the Army, and go to Airborne School, and while I was at Airborne School, he got to jump with me on my second jump," Josh Travis said. "I feel a lot of pride in being able to jump with my dad, and in him basically passing on the torch to me, so to speak."

A second opportunity for father and son to jump together came on May 5, when U.S. Army Special Operations Command and the Army Special Operations Aviation Command hosted a proficiency jump from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter.

The excitement of jumping together might have blurred the inherent danger of what they were about to do, however, Tom and Josh Travis were confident in their training and their equipment.

"As I like to say; the parachute wants to open,” Tom Travis said. “You have to have a healthy respect for what you are doing, and not get complacent. As I [inspected] him before the jump, I actually did think; 'wow I am inspecting my son!'"

Bittersweet Day

With more than 30 years in the military, Tom Travis said that while his time in the Army is almost over, he's had “a lot of fun” doing what he loves. That joy is tempered by the knowledge that opportunities for jumping with his son may be gone someday soon. Josh Travis said he shares his father’s sentiments.

"Before I joined the military, I knew jumping with my dad before he retires would possibly be one of the benefits of being stationed here at Bragg, and today it all kind of just kind of came together" the younger Travis said.

Tom Travis states that he has learned a lot during his 30-year career, and with this experience he plans to prepare his son for a long, successful career in the Army with some words of wisdom.

"Always do the right thing even when no one is watching and learn from both good and bad leadership experiences," he said. "Remember that all jobs are important, so give those troops the respect they deserve. Be able to lead and follow."

"I am very proud of my son for choosing this path. I have always tried to guide and advise him, but the decision to join the military should always rest with the individual. A parent should never push their son or daughter into serving," Tom Travis said.

Josh Travis said that he looks forward to the possibility of one day sharing with his own son or daughter the same experiences he's had with his father.

Related Stories

No items to display