For one Air Force family, everything has come full circle.

When 2nd Lt. Monica Clements was commissioned May 23 after graduating from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, her father was there to put on her bars ... wearing his own uniform.

Master Sgt. Jim Clements, a Reservist with the 446th Airlift Wing at McChord Field who began his military career in 1980, was proud to stand on stage with his daughter and deliver the Silver Dollar salute, a long-standing tradition wherein a newly commissioned officer must present a Silver Dollar to the first Servicemember to salute them.

"It was never forced upon us to join the military, but it was also never not about the military growing up," said Monica, who is one of six kids. "It was just dad in different uniforms. I had no interest until my high school got a new JROTC unit and then I figured I'd try it out."

Over the course of his 32-year military career, Jim has switched out uniforms a few times ... from active-duty Army to Army Guard to Air Guard and then finally into the Air Force Reserves in 2003 when he came to the 446th AW.

"I am approaching retirement, but I figured I'd stay in so I could do this with her," he said. "Not to mention her first official duty could be my re-enlistment."

That's right. Less than 10 days after she became an officer, 2nd Lt. Clements had the honor of re-enlisting her own father on June 2.

"It was a rather awesome first official duty," she said with a laugh.

So will the elder Clements be offering up much advice to his daughter?

"She comes to me if she thinks it is something I actually know about," he said. "I did tell her to buddy up with her senior enlisted though. They will help her along and take care of her if she respects them. Young officers need that."  

While the Clements' family is rich with military history, from one of Monica's brothers who enlisted in the Army a few years back to all of Jim's brothers, who are still serving today, she has managed to both continue the trend and set the bar higher.

"She's the fourth generation of the family in the Air Force, but she is the first officer. The first Clements to be commissioned," Jim said.

At the end of July, the new 2nd Lt. will move to Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., and assume her first position on active-duty, working as a force support officer.

"I really see myself making the military my lifestyle, whether on active-duty or in the Reserves," said Monica.