Father follows in son's jump boots

When Spc. Caleb Christensen joined the Army in 2017, he was following in his father’s footsteps.

But this year, when Capt. Matthew Christensen graduated from the U.S. Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia, the elder Christensen was taking cues from his son.

Capt. Christensen, a chaplain with the 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment at Fort Benning, was following in the jump boots of his son, Spc. Christensen.

The younger Christensen, who serves with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, had long prodded his father to become a paratrooper.

“He called me a ‘leg,’” Capt. Christensen said, referring to a derogatory term paratroopers use for soldiers who are not airborne. “He would ask ‘When are you going to become a real soldier and go to Airborne School?’”

The two have a competitive relationship, they said. And that has led to a unique situation where father and son have pushed each other to take on new challenges while also supporting one another.

The elder Christensen’s Army career began in 1993, when he enlisted shortly after marrying his wife, Jessica.

“It was a way to take care of our family,” he said.

Seven years later, the couple had three children. But the elder Christensen felt another calling.

He left active duty and pursued a career in religion, but he continued to serve through the National Guard.

In 2009, he returned to active duty as an Army chaplain. It was then, he said, that his children were fully introduced to Army life.

While serving with an infantry unit at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Capt. Christensen said his son — then in high school — would sometimes come along with him during the work day.

“He got to see first-hand what military life was all about,” he said.

So it was no big surprise when the younger Christensen announced that he, too, would join the Army.

Spc. Christensen enlisted in 2017 as an airborne infantryman. He trained at Fort Benning before being assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division.

The decision to serve was fueled in part by his father’s service — and also by a sense of patriotic duty, the younger soldier said.

As for why he went airborne: “I always thought it would be something cool to do,” he said.

Capt. Christensen said he, too, wanted to be a paratrooper, but the opportunity wasn’t there earlier in his career.

“I spent years trying to go (to Airborne School),” the chaplain said. “And he one-upped dad by going airborne.”

Capt. Christensen said he was extremely proud of his son, especially when he chose one of the Army’s toughest jobs.

At Fort Benning, while counseling new recruits, he said he often turns to his own son’s experiences to motivate those beginning their Army careers.

Capt. Christensen traveled from Alaska to Fort Benning for his son’s graduation from Airborne School. Less than a year later, he found himself assigned to Fort Benning. And the opportunity to follow in his son’s example soon followed.

Another soldier from Capt. Christensen’s battalion had to drop out of Airborne School before the class started. With a week to go, officials sought a volunteer to step in and fill the slot.

Capt. Christensen jumped at the opportunity.

And he turned to his son for advice.

“I was asking him what the most important thing I needed to know was,” Capt. Christensen said. “What were different aircraft like? How do I survive the next phase?”

It wasn’t easy, Capt. Christensen said.

In his 40s, the chaplain was much older than most of the soldiers in his Airborne School class. And he could feel that added age every time he hit the ground on one of his training jumps.

“My first thought was he’s going to hurt himself,” Spc. Christensen said. “He’s too old.”

But Capt. Christensen said the school proved to be an incredible experience that he would not soon forget.

“In the aircraft everything is loud. And when you step out, it’s like being sucked out into a vacuum,” he said. “But once the canopy opens, everything goes silent.”

Capt. Christensen graduated from Airborne School in May, and his wife and son were at his side.

The chaplain previously earned the Soldier’s Medal after tackling a machete-wielding soldier during a hostage situation. And his son has earned the coveted Expert Infantryman Badge.

But both said the graduation was among the proudest they have been in their military careers.

“It’s a great moment,” Capt. Christensen said. “Most of the time, you don’t have an opportunity for your family to be there. It was pretty neat to see them while I was standing in formation.”

Spc. Christensen pinned his father’s airborne wings to his uniform.

“It was a chance to honor him, instead of the other way around,” he said. “I was very proud of him.”

The two said that serving together has given them a different perspective than others.

Spc. Christensen said he can turn to his father for advice and rely on his experience.

And Capt. Christensen said he shares a bond with his son that would not have been possible otherwise.

“We can speak the same language,” he said. "We have shared experiences and this is another shared experience.”

But now, the younger Christensen will have to find something else to hold over his father’s head.

“You’re either inside or outside the airborne community,” Capt. Christensen said. “Now, I’m inside.”

Military editor Drew Brooks can be reached at dbrooks@fayobserver.com or 486-3567.

Fort Bragg Stories is a collaboration between The Fayetteville Observer and WUNC’s American Homefront Project to commemorate a century of history at Fort Bragg through personal narratives. If you’d like to share your Fort Bragg story, you can email fortbraggstories@wunc.org.

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