From what fans saw in early episodes of “Sister Wives,” it seemed like Garrison and Kody Brown’s relationship was that of an average father-son duo. In a 2016 episode, Garrison sought the advice of his father and his mother, Janelle Brown, for his plan to enlist in the National Guard. Kody wasn’t opposed to the idea, but he did want Garrison to go to college before he enlisted. “I don’t want to discourage you from the National Guard,” he said, “but I really would like you to get your degree before you go there. I’d rather you deploy as an officer.” Despite Kody’s advice, Garrison did end up listing in the National Guard.
Garrison had taken on basic training and was away from his family for months, but it didn’t seem to fracture his relationship with Kody. A 2018 episode showed Garrison returning home after basic training, and Kody was thrilled to have his son back home. Kody expressed his pride in Garrison for taking on this demanding role. He said, “When I’m looking at him, I’m really proud of him for making choices — making choices to serve mankind and making choices to do something hard, you know, it is really great growth for him, and I’m proud of him for doing it.”
It seemed like nothing could come between Garrison and Kody’s bond, but a couple of years later, the father-son duo would become estranged.
