On November 4, Army Major Michael Liscano Jr. arrived. at the University of Georgia to attend his son’s oath of enlistment. Liscano, a second-generation Army tanker, wanted to emerge as both father and tanker when Cadet Michael Liscano III began the process of becoming the family’s third generation in uniform.
Liscano Jr. is in the midst of retiring from the military after twenty years working in the Armor branch and is known on social media as “The armor major.” His short, often funny videos about life in the mechanized world of the military have earned him more than 15,000 followers on Instagram.
The younger Liscano swore in as an ROTC cadet at UGA. Liscano earned his way to fellowship status after a year in the program, which requires an oath to enroll in the Inactive Ready Reserves. Normally the oath would have been taken by his professor of military sciences, Lt. Col. Weston S. Layfield.
But Layfield instead offered the cadet’s father the opportunity.
“We were both surprised. For me it was a huge honor. It was like a passing of the torch because my father is going to retire soon,” said Liscano III. “So I can continue Liscano’s legacy in a way because both my grandfather and my father were in the military. It was a huge honor, like being sworn in by my own father.”
As a father, I am so proud and honored to have the privilege of swearing in my son, Cadet Michael Liscano III @saintmichael_3
in the @UGAArmyROTC
program. His Grandpa, SSG(ret) Michael Liscano Sr(RIP) would be SO PROUD! Will there be a future “The Armor MAJOR?” . Congratulations Son! pic.twitter.com/TSqimNu9kC—Michael Liscano Jr. (@jr_liscano) November 12, 2024
Liscano Jr. arrived in his blue fatigues, complete with combat medals and ribbons for two deployments to Iraq, once to Afghanistan and once to Poland for Operation Atlantic Resolve.
“As soon as I got in there, they were kind of taken back, along with the military science professor,” Liscano said. “They finished the paperwork and he comes up to me and says, ‘Do you want to swear in your son?’ I said yes – it was really surprising – I would just be there as a father to support him.”
Liscano Jr. then asked his son to raise his right hand, and the two recited the oath of enlistment. Liscano III is now the third generation to serve in the military. Staff Sgt. Michael Liscano Sr. was the first to join in 1973 – an era of military service, Liscano Jr. said, when both those who joined and society’s view of the military were very different than they are today.
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“A family member said, ‘Why would you join an organization that is full of criminals who use drugs?’” Liscano Sr. said. “My father said, ‘What’s the difference between that and what I’m doing now? If I join the military, at least I have a future and I can better myself, get out of here and explore the world.’”
And he did, stationed in Germany and South Korea. Liscano III said Liscano Jr.’s experience to travel the world with his father was the same example that led his son to serve in the military.
Michael Liscano Jr. and his 8-year-old son, Michael Liscano III, on a ruck march together. Photo courtesy of Michael Liscano Jr.
Liscano Jr.’s father also attended the commissioning ceremony and pinned his son’s 2nd Lt. bars during a 2003 ceremony at Georgia Military College.
Liscano III said his father had long been his role model and mentor, helping him learn the basics of soldering, from packing his backpack to guiding his leadership skills.
“I grew up traveling around and I saw the values that the military has, especially when it came to my father being a great leader and being out with his men,” Liscano III said. “I want to embody that. I thought that hopefully one day I would be as good as him when it comes to leadership; he is the gold standard in my eyes.”
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