Father promotes son at Camp Taji

Photo By Rick Emert | Paul Burch, a paralegal with Kellog, Brown and Root at Victory Base (left) salutes his son, Chief Warrant Officer Rusty Burch after pinning on his rank at a promotion ceremony, April 2, at Taji, Iraq. Paul was in Taji to conduct training and was able to attend and participate in the ceremony.  

TAJI, IRAQ

04.09.2007

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Rick Emert 

1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

By Sgt. 1st Class Rick Emert
1st ACB, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs

TAJI, Iraq – Paul Burch got the chance to do something not many fathers of deployed Soldiers can – pin on his son's new rank.

At an April 2 ceremony, Burch, a paralegal with Kellog, Brown and Root, was on hand to promote his son, Rusty Burch, to chief warrant officer three.

The senior Burch, a native of Sterling, Ill., is stationed at Camp Victory while his son, also from Sterling, Ill., is an AH-64D Apache pilot with the 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division in Taji, Iraq.

"I think it's great," Rusty said of his father being on hand to pin his new rank. "Not very many Soldiers get the opportunity to see their father, or much less have their father or mother pin them in a combat zone, so I thought it was pretty awesome."

Paul, his voice cracking with emotion, said "On behalf of a grateful mother and father" as he pinned the new rank on his son's chest.

"Being in the military myself, I missed a lot of his childhood happenings, and I wasn't about to miss some of these," the Paul said.

He retired from the Army after 24 years as a paralegal.

In remarks after the ceremony, Rusty credited his father for pointing his life in the right direction.

Later, he said his father was proud of what he had become.

"He's a pretty proud dad," Rusty said. "I think he's pretty pleased with my job here; he likes the fact that his son is an Apache pilot."

The two have had a few chances to meet and catch up on old times since they are both in Iraq.

It's been kind of a unique experience for me that my dad is here, Rusty said. I've been able to go see him once at Victory and he's been able to come here – this is his third time coming up here to see me, so it's worked out pretty well for us.

The two don't spend much time worrying about each other's safety as they work in and around the Baghdad area.

"Both of us put our faith in the one we know will take care of us," Paul said. "And there's some security there, knowing you've got a loved one around. I also have a nephew that's in Anaconda, and I have a niece that's at Victory Base with me. Not only that, but some of these pilots are my family. They've been at my house a couple of times in the states, so it's like coming home to family. After 24 years of serving in the military, the military is my family.

"This is one of the greatest achievements or aspirations that a father could ever, ever have. Except for my marriage and the two sets of twins that my wife and I have raised together, this is probably the greatest moment in my life."

• Date Taken: 04.09.2007
• Date Posted: 04.09.2007 11:20
• Story ID: 9813
• Location: TAJI, IQ