thedrifter
02-12-07, 09:54 AM
Vallejo Marine cool under fire
By ANDREA WOLF, Times-Herald correspondent
Vallejo Times Herald
Article Launched:02/12/2007 07:04:59 AM PST
Most people would likely jump a bit, or at least pause, when three resonating explosions thundered nearby.
Not Travis McKinney, 33, a U.S. Marine serving in Iraq. "Oh, that was just a mortar round," he assured a startled reporter on the other end of a long-distance line.
"I guess I have just gotten used to it," McKinney said during the telephone interview from Fallujah, where he is stationed.
"It happens all the time. If it's not mortars, it's IEDs, rockets or small arms fire," he added.
McKinney, raised in Vallejo, is a staff sergeant stationed in one of the most volatile and violent areas in Iraq.
McKinney knew he always wanted to be a Marine, and he enlisted with a group of friends shortly after graduating from Hogan High School. One of his buddies, Matt St. Pierre, is still serving and has been one of the bright spots in McKinney's Marine life.
"Most Marines are here for their buddies," McKinney said. "It has been a lot easier having my best friend here who knows what I'm going through."
McKinney served as an infantry platoon sergeant and was involved in combat. He is now attached to a battalion of Iraqi soldiers and is responsible for advising the trained Iraqis so they can eventually take over leadership of their troops. McKinney and the other Marines in the military transition team eat, sleep and live with the Iraqi soldiers.
"The Iraqis are really nice folks," McKinney said. "The soldiers are really eager to get out there. Sometimes it just takes a little pushing."
McKinney has experienced varied reactions, mostly good, from the people in Iraq with whom he has come into contact.
"The kids always come out and want candy and the parents seem to appreciate it when we come by," he said. "We don't talk to them very much, just to ask them if they need any medical attention or if they have running water and power. There are certain things that we can help do for them."
In addition to missing having a little privacy and being able to have a cold beer every now and then, McKinney is looking forward to getting back to his 2002 Jaguar, popping in a good CD and just going for a drive.
When he leaves Iraq, McKinney will go back to Lansing, Mich., where he was stationed before, and will re-enlist when his current contract is finished, continuing with his military career. He is planning to join the Sector Instruction Team, which is responsible for training reservists.
If everything goes according to plan, he is scheduled to return to the United States in May.
This is McKinney's fourth deployment to Iraq. He also served in Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002.
Travis McKinney
Age: 33
Hometown: Vallejo, Hogan High School graduate
Occupation: Marine staff sergeant now stationed in Fallujah, in Iraq's Al Anbar province
Special interest: His 2002 Jaguar
Quote: "The Iraqis are really nice folks. The soldiers are really eager to get out there; sometimes it just takes a little pushing."
Ellie
By ANDREA WOLF, Times-Herald correspondent
Vallejo Times Herald
Article Launched:02/12/2007 07:04:59 AM PST
Most people would likely jump a bit, or at least pause, when three resonating explosions thundered nearby.
Not Travis McKinney, 33, a U.S. Marine serving in Iraq. "Oh, that was just a mortar round," he assured a startled reporter on the other end of a long-distance line.
"I guess I have just gotten used to it," McKinney said during the telephone interview from Fallujah, where he is stationed.
"It happens all the time. If it's not mortars, it's IEDs, rockets or small arms fire," he added.
McKinney, raised in Vallejo, is a staff sergeant stationed in one of the most volatile and violent areas in Iraq.
McKinney knew he always wanted to be a Marine, and he enlisted with a group of friends shortly after graduating from Hogan High School. One of his buddies, Matt St. Pierre, is still serving and has been one of the bright spots in McKinney's Marine life.
"Most Marines are here for their buddies," McKinney said. "It has been a lot easier having my best friend here who knows what I'm going through."
McKinney served as an infantry platoon sergeant and was involved in combat. He is now attached to a battalion of Iraqi soldiers and is responsible for advising the trained Iraqis so they can eventually take over leadership of their troops. McKinney and the other Marines in the military transition team eat, sleep and live with the Iraqi soldiers.
"The Iraqis are really nice folks," McKinney said. "The soldiers are really eager to get out there. Sometimes it just takes a little pushing."
McKinney has experienced varied reactions, mostly good, from the people in Iraq with whom he has come into contact.
"The kids always come out and want candy and the parents seem to appreciate it when we come by," he said. "We don't talk to them very much, just to ask them if they need any medical attention or if they have running water and power. There are certain things that we can help do for them."
In addition to missing having a little privacy and being able to have a cold beer every now and then, McKinney is looking forward to getting back to his 2002 Jaguar, popping in a good CD and just going for a drive.
When he leaves Iraq, McKinney will go back to Lansing, Mich., where he was stationed before, and will re-enlist when his current contract is finished, continuing with his military career. He is planning to join the Sector Instruction Team, which is responsible for training reservists.
If everything goes according to plan, he is scheduled to return to the United States in May.
This is McKinney's fourth deployment to Iraq. He also served in Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002.
Travis McKinney
Age: 33
Hometown: Vallejo, Hogan High School graduate
Occupation: Marine staff sergeant now stationed in Fallujah, in Iraq's Al Anbar province
Special interest: His 2002 Jaguar
Quote: "The Iraqis are really nice folks. The soldiers are really eager to get out there; sometimes it just takes a little pushing."
Ellie