CommunityEditor
09-29-2009, 08:25 PM
RENO, Nev. — A Fallon family has two members serving with the Nevada Air National Guard in Afghanistan, with a third literally waiting in the wings.
Lt. Col. Bartley M. O’Toole commands the 192nd Airlift Squadron, which includes his son, Senior Airman Bartley J. O’Toole, 23, a flight equipment worker. Both volunteered for deployment.
Meanwhile, Brogan O’Toole, 21, has started his final year at the Air Force Academy and is slated to attend pilot training, his mother, Holly, said Sunday.
“I think I’m lucky,” Holly O’Toole said. “I think it’s a huge help that my husband’s there. It’s hugely different to have adults there than a child. It’s such a different emotion when one of your children is in any type of dangerous setting.”
The O’Tooles deployed Sept. 1 with members of the 152nd Airlift Wing based in Reno that will rotate in and out of the Bagram Air Base for the next seven to eight months. Capt. April Conway, Nevada Guard spokeswoman, said 40 to 50 Guard members would be at Bagram at any given time.
“They’re very busy,” said Holly O’Toole. “My son calls about every two weeks, and my husband tries to call every week.
“They don’t share a lot about what’s going on there. They want to know how the girls are. They’re both looking forward to a hot bath. I hope they’ll be back at Thanksgiving.”
“They want to hear about our lives here,” she said, “because that’s what they’re there for.”
B.J. O’Toole enlisted in the Guard in 2006 and took basic training in the spring of 2007. He needs about another year to finish his degree in criminal justice at University of Nevada-Reno. He plans to apply for pilot training.
“The squadron asked for volunteers, so I took the opportunity,” he said. “It’s just like being at home station, except my dad always tells me to call my mom.”
Cadet O’Toole said: “I am glad my father is there to look after my older brother on his first deployment.”
The squadron had deployed before without the eldest O’Toole, when he was a major.
“That was tough,” he said. “Now as commander, I could never think of the squadron deploying without me.”
In Afghanistan, the eldest O’Toole, a navigator, is operations director for the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. He graduated from UNR in agricultural science in 1987 and is on his 10th deployment to the Middle East. He also is a partner in the O’Toole family ranches.
“The jets used to fly over the ranch all the time, and Bart would look up and say, ‘I think I could do that,’ ” Holly O’Toole said. “We were both 20 then and getting our degrees.”
She said her husband has been in the Guard more than 20 years and joined when the unit still flew F-4 Phantom fighter jets. The couple has daughters Catherine, 18, and Cassandra, 16, a high school junior.
Article: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/09/ap_airguard_nevada_son_father_092809/
Lt. Col. Bartley M. O’Toole commands the 192nd Airlift Squadron, which includes his son, Senior Airman Bartley J. O’Toole, 23, a flight equipment worker. Both volunteered for deployment.
Meanwhile, Brogan O’Toole, 21, has started his final year at the Air Force Academy and is slated to attend pilot training, his mother, Holly, said Sunday.
“I think I’m lucky,” Holly O’Toole said. “I think it’s a huge help that my husband’s there. It’s hugely different to have adults there than a child. It’s such a different emotion when one of your children is in any type of dangerous setting.”
The O’Tooles deployed Sept. 1 with members of the 152nd Airlift Wing based in Reno that will rotate in and out of the Bagram Air Base for the next seven to eight months. Capt. April Conway, Nevada Guard spokeswoman, said 40 to 50 Guard members would be at Bagram at any given time.
“They’re very busy,” said Holly O’Toole. “My son calls about every two weeks, and my husband tries to call every week.
“They don’t share a lot about what’s going on there. They want to know how the girls are. They’re both looking forward to a hot bath. I hope they’ll be back at Thanksgiving.”
“They want to hear about our lives here,” she said, “because that’s what they’re there for.”
B.J. O’Toole enlisted in the Guard in 2006 and took basic training in the spring of 2007. He needs about another year to finish his degree in criminal justice at University of Nevada-Reno. He plans to apply for pilot training.
“The squadron asked for volunteers, so I took the opportunity,” he said. “It’s just like being at home station, except my dad always tells me to call my mom.”
Cadet O’Toole said: “I am glad my father is there to look after my older brother on his first deployment.”
The squadron had deployed before without the eldest O’Toole, when he was a major.
“That was tough,” he said. “Now as commander, I could never think of the squadron deploying without me.”
In Afghanistan, the eldest O’Toole, a navigator, is operations director for the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. He graduated from UNR in agricultural science in 1987 and is on his 10th deployment to the Middle East. He also is a partner in the O’Toole family ranches.
“The jets used to fly over the ranch all the time, and Bart would look up and say, ‘I think I could do that,’ ” Holly O’Toole said. “We were both 20 then and getting our degrees.”
She said her husband has been in the Guard more than 20 years and joined when the unit still flew F-4 Phantom fighter jets. The couple has daughters Catherine, 18, and Cassandra, 16, a high school junior.
Article: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/09/ap_airguard_nevada_son_father_092809/