thedrifter
07-03-08, 07:29 AM
From Centreville High to Iraq
An update on Marines Ryan Burke and Sean O’Neill.
By Bonnie Hobbs, Centre View
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Editor’s note: When the war in Iraq first began, Centre View did a six-week series about several, young men and women from Centreville and Chantilly who joined the military and answered their country’s call. Now, for the Fourth of July issue, here is an update on two of them, Ryan Burke and Sean O’Neill.
Ryan Burke and Sean O’Neill attended Centreville High together, became friends and graduated in 2001. They also both joined the Marine Reserves, went through boot camp, infantry and light armored vehicle (LAV) training together and, in March 2003, ended up in the same company overseas.
When their tour was up, they returned home in October 2003 and went back to their civilian lives. They had monthly reserve duty on weekends, but were able to attend college and focus on their future. Then in late 2007, just as both were about to graduate from college — and right before their military obligation was about to end — their company was reactivated for deployment. On Easter weekend, both men returned to Iraq.
"Several times over the past couple years, there were rumors that they’d be remobilized, but it didn’t happen," said Ryan’s mom, Rosina Burke of Little Rocky Run. "Ryan and Sean would joke about it, saying, ‘Just wait; just as we’re about to turn in our gear, we’ll be remobilized.’"
Ryan, 24, is the only child of Rosina and husband Frank Burke, who served six years in the Marines, himself. Sean, 25, is the son of Marisu and Dennis O’Neill of Centreville’s Braddock Ridge community and has an older brother, Patrick, 29. At Centreville, Ryan played ice hockey and was on the Wildcats’ 2000 State Championship football team, and Sean played on the baseball and basketball teams.
In Iraq, though, both were on the same team: Delta Company, 4th LAR (Light Armored Reconnaissance) Battalion, out of Quantico. In 2003, Ryan and Sean drove these vehicles. "It’s like a small tank, with wheels, instead of treads," said Rosina Burke. "It can better maneuver through streets for urban combat."
"They were initially assigned to the Iran/Iraq border, northeast of Baghdad, closest to Al Kut," said Dennis O’Neill. "They patrolled Al Kut and tried to prevent Iranians from sneaking across the border into Iraq. Because things were fluid during the invasion, they moved a lot of times. At the end, they moved into Anbar Province, doing security patrols in towns in that area, plus convoy security escorts."
"Ryan was in several cities throughout the Sunni triangle around Baghdad — even in Saddam’s palace, after he was captured," added Burke. "They also spent a lot of time helping to set up the local government in Al Kut and start the rebuilding."
She said their unit saw "a lot of combat" in Iraq and their company was issued the Presidential Unit Citation when they returned home. Burke said the members also received "quite a few medals for service and combat."
O’Neill said his biggest fears for his son were the land mines and IEDs (improvised explosive devices). But, he said, "There’s not a whole lot you can do — just hope and pray that he’ll be all right."
He and Sean mostly communicated by mail, with some phone calls and e-mails. And since the Marines had no PX handy where they could obtain personal-hygiene items, O’Neill sent his son care packages of things such as socks, soap and toothpaste. However, since Sean’s unit had no fixed base, packages could take a few weeks to reach him.
"One of the last places they were before getting back here was Babylon, so they saw a lot of history there," said Burke. "They also spent time with some of the other foreign troops." She said the Marines were impressed that the Italian soldiers dined on "nice, spaghetti dinners and juice boxes of wine."
She said Ryan crossed into Kuwait, on their way home, as he turned 20 on Sept. 27, 2003, so "it was a good birthday present." No one from his unit was killed; there were some injuries, but only one that was major. Still, she worried about her son while he was gone.
"It’s probably one of the hardest things to do — to send your only child into war — especially then, because communications weren’t that good," said Burke. "And you’d jump if you heard the phone ring or saw a car pull up outside. The hardest thing was coming home at night and rounding the corner — and just praying that you didn’t see a government car sitting out there."
She said Ryan told her it’ll take "a long time for things to have a major improvement in Iraq regarding people’s thought processes about democracy — maybe not even in this generation. People have been living that way for thousands of years."
Nonetheless, O’Neill said Sean was "pretty proud of what he did. He felt he accomplished something, and he did his job as a Marine."
BEFORE GOING OVERSEAS, Ryan obtained his associate degree in administration of justice from NVCC. Then when he returned, he enrolled at GMU, made the dean’s list and would have graduated with honors in December 2007. But when his unit was reactivated, Dec. 2, he had to put his studies on hold until spring 2009.
"He can’t wait to get back and continue his education and start a career in the security field with a government contractor," said Burke. "He’s considering, for example, testing military equipment. And he wants to stay in Centreville because this is his home."
Sean, too, had to table his plans for graduation. He’d missed the fall and spring semesters of college while in Iraq but, in 2004, went back to JMU to study public administration en route to a sociology degree. "He was going to take a full load to graduate in mid-December 2007," said O’Neill. "But when he was activated, he had to drop the classes he’d planned to take. He was disappointed because he had things all planned out and was ready to move on with his life."
Sean was also in the application process for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and got a call in early February that he’d been accepted. Said O’Neill: "They offered him a job to start attending the Fire Academy on March 3."
Although that was impossible, O’Neill said his son was "ecstatic to have gone through the whole process — he’d applied in spring 2007 — and been selected among the thousands of applicants. They said when he comes back and is de-activated, he can join the Academy class of February or March 2009."
TO PREPARE for their current tour of duty, both Sean and Ryan trained at Camp Lejeune, N.C. and in the Mojave Desert. They returned to Iraq in March, and now both are sergeants. Ryan’s dad left the Marines as a sergeant, so he now tells his son that they’re "equals." However, according to Frank Burke, Ryan has a lot more "fruit salad" (medals and ribbons) on his chest.
Ryan and Sean are also vehicle commanders and squad leaders with the 2nd LAR Battalion out of Camp Lejeune. "And they’re well-equipped," said Rosina Burke. "Both the gear and first-aid supplies are better now. They’ve learned a lot over the past five years."
The first tour, she said, "A small IED with nails in it went off near Ryan and he got some nails in his arm. He was OK, but I didn’t find out until he came home. Another time, he became dehydrated and needed eight units of saline solution — and was out for 24 hours. The temperature in Iraq can easily reach 140 degrees."
Added O’Neill: "In July and August, it starts being 130-degree days and 90-degree nights, so Sean has to wear gloves getting in and out of his metal vehicle so he won’t burn his hands."
Regarding Sean’s return to Iraq, he said, "The commandant of the Marine Corps, a year ago, said that, of the 180,000 active-duty Marines, one-third have never been in a combat zone. They’re pulling up all these Reserves for the second or third time; but why do we have to go dipping into our Reserve force if a third of the active-duty forces got skipped over?"
"I think my wife worries about Sean even more, this time, but I think he’ll be a little better prepared mentally," continued O’Neill. "I just hope and pray that his luck holds out, like it did last time, and he’s careful and they all watch out for each other."
Burke knows both Ryan and Sean are "well-trained for this; it’s their job and duty and they’re representing their country, and that’s Ryan’s feeling now. Before leaving, he said he’s been working with the men in his unit for awhile and he needs to be there for them. But 65-70 percent of them are new; so, since he was experienced, he felt he needed to be there to help. He’s a great young man and we’re extremely proud of him."
During this tour, said O’Neill, like Ryan, Sean "has the added responsibility of a squad of people to look out for — himself, a driver and a gunner for his vehicle, plus four scouts. But they have an already-established base with a PX and commissary." He said both Sean and Ryan were surprised at the accommodations and amenities there.
"In 2003, everyone was on the move to Baghdad, so they were either living in tents, vehicles, makeshift quarters," said O’Neill. "But this time, they have basic barracks facilities with electricity and air conditioning. And when they’re at the base, they get two, cooked meals a day." He said they can usually access an Internet connection, every few days, and can also make phone calls, every two or three weeks.
The company commander also e-mails families and there’s even a parent e-mail tree. "I belong to a Marine parent group that has a Web site," said Burke. "It’s a way of keeping in touch with people in the same boat."
CURRENTLY, THE MARINES are in the Anbar Province, west of Baghdad, and Burke said they "have it pretty well under control now. So I’m worried, but I’d rather have Ryan there, than in Baghdad, where all the action seemed to be, earlier this year. It’s hard dealing with not knowing where he is all the time and what he is doing, but he knows what to expect and will be aware of his surroundings. And, for the most part, the Iraqi people are appreciative of the turn of events since the surge began."
Besides that, she continued, "The Marines got phenomenal training before going over there. In the Mojave Desert, they built an entire, Iraqi town and practiced fighting and getting used to hearing the Iraqi language. They also practiced dealing with situations they felt they’d encounter in Iraq."
O’Neill said Sean and Ryan have settled into a routine now, in Iraq: "A couple days on border patrol, a couple days doing base security and then a few days on the Quick Reaction Force. If a patrol got into trouble or there was enemy activity in the nearby town of Akshat, they’d respond to it. They’re trying to stop smugglers and people trying to infiltrate the border."
He said Sean’s spirits seem to be up and "the Marines are now familiar with their surroundings and have experience dealing with he local Iraqi officials. So, for us, it’s good — it’s quiet out there. Whatever they’ve done in the past few years, and their change in philosophy, seems to be working."
They’re due to return home in mid-October and should be done with their military service by year’s end. Until then, the parents are doing what they can to bring some joy into their sons’ lives. Sean’s mom Marisu sends him a box a week; the latest contains candy and treats. Burke just sent Ryan a box of things for celebrating the Fourth of July with his buddies — flags, paper plates, napkins, streamers, an inflatable swimming pool, water guns, balloons to fill with water and "even a Beach Boys CD for them to play while they have fun."
Still, part of their youth has been left behind and both Ryan and Sean have matured beyond their years. "We noticed that, from the time he came back initially, his dedication to the Marines really increased," said Sean’s mom, Marisu. "He started taking courses for promotion and was always ready for the responsibility attached to it. He also had more commitment to school and home, more empathy toward others and started looking at things in terms of their importance."
When Ryan returned from Iraq, the first time, he said that seeing people’s poverty and thirst for knowledge there made him appreciate things at home even more. "His values had changed in the way he looked at life," said his mother. "He told me, ‘Over there, you learn how fragile life is. Every morning when I wake up and my feet hit the floor, I thank God I’m alive.’"
Ellie
An update on Marines Ryan Burke and Sean O’Neill.
By Bonnie Hobbs, Centre View
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Editor’s note: When the war in Iraq first began, Centre View did a six-week series about several, young men and women from Centreville and Chantilly who joined the military and answered their country’s call. Now, for the Fourth of July issue, here is an update on two of them, Ryan Burke and Sean O’Neill.
Ryan Burke and Sean O’Neill attended Centreville High together, became friends and graduated in 2001. They also both joined the Marine Reserves, went through boot camp, infantry and light armored vehicle (LAV) training together and, in March 2003, ended up in the same company overseas.
When their tour was up, they returned home in October 2003 and went back to their civilian lives. They had monthly reserve duty on weekends, but were able to attend college and focus on their future. Then in late 2007, just as both were about to graduate from college — and right before their military obligation was about to end — their company was reactivated for deployment. On Easter weekend, both men returned to Iraq.
"Several times over the past couple years, there were rumors that they’d be remobilized, but it didn’t happen," said Ryan’s mom, Rosina Burke of Little Rocky Run. "Ryan and Sean would joke about it, saying, ‘Just wait; just as we’re about to turn in our gear, we’ll be remobilized.’"
Ryan, 24, is the only child of Rosina and husband Frank Burke, who served six years in the Marines, himself. Sean, 25, is the son of Marisu and Dennis O’Neill of Centreville’s Braddock Ridge community and has an older brother, Patrick, 29. At Centreville, Ryan played ice hockey and was on the Wildcats’ 2000 State Championship football team, and Sean played on the baseball and basketball teams.
In Iraq, though, both were on the same team: Delta Company, 4th LAR (Light Armored Reconnaissance) Battalion, out of Quantico. In 2003, Ryan and Sean drove these vehicles. "It’s like a small tank, with wheels, instead of treads," said Rosina Burke. "It can better maneuver through streets for urban combat."
"They were initially assigned to the Iran/Iraq border, northeast of Baghdad, closest to Al Kut," said Dennis O’Neill. "They patrolled Al Kut and tried to prevent Iranians from sneaking across the border into Iraq. Because things were fluid during the invasion, they moved a lot of times. At the end, they moved into Anbar Province, doing security patrols in towns in that area, plus convoy security escorts."
"Ryan was in several cities throughout the Sunni triangle around Baghdad — even in Saddam’s palace, after he was captured," added Burke. "They also spent a lot of time helping to set up the local government in Al Kut and start the rebuilding."
She said their unit saw "a lot of combat" in Iraq and their company was issued the Presidential Unit Citation when they returned home. Burke said the members also received "quite a few medals for service and combat."
O’Neill said his biggest fears for his son were the land mines and IEDs (improvised explosive devices). But, he said, "There’s not a whole lot you can do — just hope and pray that he’ll be all right."
He and Sean mostly communicated by mail, with some phone calls and e-mails. And since the Marines had no PX handy where they could obtain personal-hygiene items, O’Neill sent his son care packages of things such as socks, soap and toothpaste. However, since Sean’s unit had no fixed base, packages could take a few weeks to reach him.
"One of the last places they were before getting back here was Babylon, so they saw a lot of history there," said Burke. "They also spent time with some of the other foreign troops." She said the Marines were impressed that the Italian soldiers dined on "nice, spaghetti dinners and juice boxes of wine."
She said Ryan crossed into Kuwait, on their way home, as he turned 20 on Sept. 27, 2003, so "it was a good birthday present." No one from his unit was killed; there were some injuries, but only one that was major. Still, she worried about her son while he was gone.
"It’s probably one of the hardest things to do — to send your only child into war — especially then, because communications weren’t that good," said Burke. "And you’d jump if you heard the phone ring or saw a car pull up outside. The hardest thing was coming home at night and rounding the corner — and just praying that you didn’t see a government car sitting out there."
She said Ryan told her it’ll take "a long time for things to have a major improvement in Iraq regarding people’s thought processes about democracy — maybe not even in this generation. People have been living that way for thousands of years."
Nonetheless, O’Neill said Sean was "pretty proud of what he did. He felt he accomplished something, and he did his job as a Marine."
BEFORE GOING OVERSEAS, Ryan obtained his associate degree in administration of justice from NVCC. Then when he returned, he enrolled at GMU, made the dean’s list and would have graduated with honors in December 2007. But when his unit was reactivated, Dec. 2, he had to put his studies on hold until spring 2009.
"He can’t wait to get back and continue his education and start a career in the security field with a government contractor," said Burke. "He’s considering, for example, testing military equipment. And he wants to stay in Centreville because this is his home."
Sean, too, had to table his plans for graduation. He’d missed the fall and spring semesters of college while in Iraq but, in 2004, went back to JMU to study public administration en route to a sociology degree. "He was going to take a full load to graduate in mid-December 2007," said O’Neill. "But when he was activated, he had to drop the classes he’d planned to take. He was disappointed because he had things all planned out and was ready to move on with his life."
Sean was also in the application process for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and got a call in early February that he’d been accepted. Said O’Neill: "They offered him a job to start attending the Fire Academy on March 3."
Although that was impossible, O’Neill said his son was "ecstatic to have gone through the whole process — he’d applied in spring 2007 — and been selected among the thousands of applicants. They said when he comes back and is de-activated, he can join the Academy class of February or March 2009."
TO PREPARE for their current tour of duty, both Sean and Ryan trained at Camp Lejeune, N.C. and in the Mojave Desert. They returned to Iraq in March, and now both are sergeants. Ryan’s dad left the Marines as a sergeant, so he now tells his son that they’re "equals." However, according to Frank Burke, Ryan has a lot more "fruit salad" (medals and ribbons) on his chest.
Ryan and Sean are also vehicle commanders and squad leaders with the 2nd LAR Battalion out of Camp Lejeune. "And they’re well-equipped," said Rosina Burke. "Both the gear and first-aid supplies are better now. They’ve learned a lot over the past five years."
The first tour, she said, "A small IED with nails in it went off near Ryan and he got some nails in his arm. He was OK, but I didn’t find out until he came home. Another time, he became dehydrated and needed eight units of saline solution — and was out for 24 hours. The temperature in Iraq can easily reach 140 degrees."
Added O’Neill: "In July and August, it starts being 130-degree days and 90-degree nights, so Sean has to wear gloves getting in and out of his metal vehicle so he won’t burn his hands."
Regarding Sean’s return to Iraq, he said, "The commandant of the Marine Corps, a year ago, said that, of the 180,000 active-duty Marines, one-third have never been in a combat zone. They’re pulling up all these Reserves for the second or third time; but why do we have to go dipping into our Reserve force if a third of the active-duty forces got skipped over?"
"I think my wife worries about Sean even more, this time, but I think he’ll be a little better prepared mentally," continued O’Neill. "I just hope and pray that his luck holds out, like it did last time, and he’s careful and they all watch out for each other."
Burke knows both Ryan and Sean are "well-trained for this; it’s their job and duty and they’re representing their country, and that’s Ryan’s feeling now. Before leaving, he said he’s been working with the men in his unit for awhile and he needs to be there for them. But 65-70 percent of them are new; so, since he was experienced, he felt he needed to be there to help. He’s a great young man and we’re extremely proud of him."
During this tour, said O’Neill, like Ryan, Sean "has the added responsibility of a squad of people to look out for — himself, a driver and a gunner for his vehicle, plus four scouts. But they have an already-established base with a PX and commissary." He said both Sean and Ryan were surprised at the accommodations and amenities there.
"In 2003, everyone was on the move to Baghdad, so they were either living in tents, vehicles, makeshift quarters," said O’Neill. "But this time, they have basic barracks facilities with electricity and air conditioning. And when they’re at the base, they get two, cooked meals a day." He said they can usually access an Internet connection, every few days, and can also make phone calls, every two or three weeks.
The company commander also e-mails families and there’s even a parent e-mail tree. "I belong to a Marine parent group that has a Web site," said Burke. "It’s a way of keeping in touch with people in the same boat."
CURRENTLY, THE MARINES are in the Anbar Province, west of Baghdad, and Burke said they "have it pretty well under control now. So I’m worried, but I’d rather have Ryan there, than in Baghdad, where all the action seemed to be, earlier this year. It’s hard dealing with not knowing where he is all the time and what he is doing, but he knows what to expect and will be aware of his surroundings. And, for the most part, the Iraqi people are appreciative of the turn of events since the surge began."
Besides that, she continued, "The Marines got phenomenal training before going over there. In the Mojave Desert, they built an entire, Iraqi town and practiced fighting and getting used to hearing the Iraqi language. They also practiced dealing with situations they felt they’d encounter in Iraq."
O’Neill said Sean and Ryan have settled into a routine now, in Iraq: "A couple days on border patrol, a couple days doing base security and then a few days on the Quick Reaction Force. If a patrol got into trouble or there was enemy activity in the nearby town of Akshat, they’d respond to it. They’re trying to stop smugglers and people trying to infiltrate the border."
He said Sean’s spirits seem to be up and "the Marines are now familiar with their surroundings and have experience dealing with he local Iraqi officials. So, for us, it’s good — it’s quiet out there. Whatever they’ve done in the past few years, and their change in philosophy, seems to be working."
They’re due to return home in mid-October and should be done with their military service by year’s end. Until then, the parents are doing what they can to bring some joy into their sons’ lives. Sean’s mom Marisu sends him a box a week; the latest contains candy and treats. Burke just sent Ryan a box of things for celebrating the Fourth of July with his buddies — flags, paper plates, napkins, streamers, an inflatable swimming pool, water guns, balloons to fill with water and "even a Beach Boys CD for them to play while they have fun."
Still, part of their youth has been left behind and both Ryan and Sean have matured beyond their years. "We noticed that, from the time he came back initially, his dedication to the Marines really increased," said Sean’s mom, Marisu. "He started taking courses for promotion and was always ready for the responsibility attached to it. He also had more commitment to school and home, more empathy toward others and started looking at things in terms of their importance."
When Ryan returned from Iraq, the first time, he said that seeing people’s poverty and thirst for knowledge there made him appreciate things at home even more. "His values had changed in the way he looked at life," said his mother. "He told me, ‘Over there, you learn how fragile life is. Every morning when I wake up and my feet hit the floor, I thank God I’m alive.’"
Ellie