Despite COVID-19, commissioning still a Taylor family affair

  • Published
  • By Wayne Amann
  • OSI Public Affairs

There are military families – and then there’s the Taylor military family.

What makes the Taylors unique centers around dad, retired Air Force Maj. Glenn Taylor, now lead cyber analyst at Office of Special Investigations, 3rd Field Investigations Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

Mr. Taylor commissioned his third child, son Jordan, into the Air Force officer corps May 22, 2020. The commissioning took place at Mr. Taylor’s Texas residence with the rest of Jordan’s class via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

His son in-law is also an Air Force officer.  

“My children could have chosen any path in life but all three of them and my son-in-law made the conscious decision to join the less than one percent of Americans who serve in the military to protect the ideals of our country,” Mr. Taylor said. “I’m deeply honored they asked me to commission them into my Air Force family and what I feel about serving alongside them is simply proud, incredibly proud.”  

Jordan, who’s awaiting orders for Undergraduate Pilot Training at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., and older brother Justin, an MQ-9 Reaper pilot, went through the same Air Force Reserve Officer Training Program at Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas. 

“Getting commissioned by my father was an experience I had looked forward to since I was a child,” said Jordan.” It was special to see the man I had admired my whole life for his service in the Air Force read the oath of office and to start my path into the military. Even though we weren’t in a big auditorium on a big stage due to COVID-19, all that mattered was my friends and family were able to remotely watch my dad, my hero, bring me into the United States Air Force.

Daughter Sierra was commissioned while at the United States Air Force Academy, became an Intelligence/Acquisitions officer and is now a full time mom.

Meanwhile, Mr. Taylor’s son-in-law, Justin Bruton, is an RC-135 pilot at Offutt AFB, Neb.

An Air Force career has been on Jordan’s radar for a long time. 

“I became interested in joining the Air Force at a very young age, it was really the only life I knew but I came to recognize the opportunities that came from a life in the Air Force,” the future pilot said. “From travelling the world to potentially flying the world’s greatest war planes, I could not keep myself away. My father has served in the Air Force my entire life and has inspired me and my siblings to follow in his footsteps. My family inspires me every day to achieve even greater goals and I hope to find a life of fulfillment in the military.” 

“This is an awesome story,” said Lt. Col. James Merenda, OSI 3 FIS Commander. “(Glenn) and his family are a tremendous example of service and dedication to the Air Force and the nation.”