Burgenstock Family … Doing What They Can for their Country

The Burgenstock family experienced war firsthand, but know it made them closer as a family

by Blair Parke

It’s no secret that most Americans appreciate all that the U.S. armed services and their families do to ensure the protection and safety of this nation. However, they don’t know what military life is really like unless they talk to those who are serving at the front lines overseas or at home: the months of separation, managing the household alone, and the feelings of anxiousness in wondering when and if loved ones will return.

For the Burgenstock family of Ocoee, the events of Operation Iraqi Freedom were the main part of their lives from 2004-05, as Greg Burgenstock, a husband and father, was deployed to Iraq during one of the bloodiest years in the war. Yet despite the sacrifices the family made for the war, no one would trade what they learned and how they matured for anything.

“Being in something bigger than yourself is a rewarding experience, and I owe a lot to the Army and military, and to my husband, for all that they have sacrificed as well, so that we could have the life that we have,” said Kelly Burgenstock, Greg’s wife and mother of their two sons, Gage and Seth.

061616feature01 (L. to r.) Seth, Gage, Kelly and Greg Burgenstock of Ocoee experience the highs and lows that come with being a military family.

Called to Serve

As millions witnessed the Twin Towers fall during the Sept. 11 attacks, Greg and Kelly both were moved by what happened in New York and Maryland, and wanted to help. Recently married [July 2001], both came from military families, and Greg had been toying with the idea of joining the military before the attacks occurred.

“Joining [after the attacks] seemed to be the thing to do, to serve,” said Greg, who joined January 2002 and was given a split option, because he was, at the time, teaching middle school until May. He began basic training in May, and the following summer he started Advanced Individual Training for his job.

Kelly, already pregnant with their first child together [son Seth], supported his decision to serve his country.

“The way that his training went, I was able to get eased into his service,” she said. “I had concerns at the time, but I was just as moved as Greg was by the attacks and the call to serve; it was the right thing to do.”

Greg had no illusions that he wouldn’t be deployed to Iraq, which happened once his training ended in July 2003. Orders were given in November 2003, and he was sent to Iraq in January 2004, the second year of the war.

“Things were established [in Iraq] at that point of the war, in that we had infrastructure and permanent hosts, where the first group didn’t have anything like that,” he said.

Greg was a transportation management coordinator, handling logistics and being accountable for all the vehicles, security convoys and related duties to force protection and searches and seizures. His job required him to be on the road a lot, but thankfully he never experienced any direct combats or fire fights.

“Some vehicle convoys I was in were possibly hit, but [because of] my place in line, I thankfully wasn’t hit, as the convoys could sometimes be 80 miles long,” Greg said.

Serving at Home

Meanwhile, stateside, Kelly was focusing on raising their two boys as best she could, remembering Greg’s deployment as “the year that disappeared.”

“It was the year that disappeared to me, because I just put my head down and plowed through,” Kelly said. “The boys had to be taken care of, I was working still, and you put your blinders on to get through the year.”

Communication with Greg was pretty regular, whether through phone calls or emails when Greg was stationed somewhere with internet access. The two also kept voice recorders so they could record messages to one another or the boys and send them to each other.

However, at times, Kelly found it challenging to stay positive and encouraged when Greg was gone and found solace from a couple of other Army wives, one in particular whose husband was also deployed and was raising two little girls.

“She became my ‘person,’ where we would go to lunch, the gym and shopping; talking about how excited we would be when the guys came home,” Kelly said. “That was my support, and we still talk to this day.”

Greg returned to the states in the early part of 2005, knowing that he didn’t want to go back to Iraq but still wanted to be part of the U.S. Army. He was plugged back into teaching again at Ocoee Middle School and found he was able to return to a normal routine with his family, although there were adjustments.

“I don’t think anybody [who] goes over to that place overseas and comes back is the same person when he/she returns as when he/she left,” Greg said. “You incorporate your experiences into who you are. Some people really struggle with that transition, but I think I was pretty fortunate.”

Finally Reunited

Greg found a new calling in the Army as part of a training unit in Orlando, the 370th Battalion, to help train soldiers preparing to go to Iraq and Afghanistan. Then he was transferred to a three-year stint in Mississippi, using his experience in Iraq to instruct soldiers on how to handle Humvee roll-over situations.

The closer proximity to Orlando and breaks in between training — that could bring 12- to 15-hour workdays over 45-day periods — allowed Greg to be able to visit his family regularly, sometimes for four-day weekends. Kelly, Gage and Seth also made the trip up to see Greg’s instruction duties and spend much-needed family time together.

“The boys knew that Greg was in Mississippi and that he was helping soldiers,” Kelly said. “It had always been, ‘Listen, we’re an Army family, and we just have it a little different than everyone else, but it is OK.’

“Our oldest son, Gage (from Kelly’s first marriage and raised by Greg since age 3), was 8 when Greg was in Iraq, and we told him that this is what Daddy had to do, and [the two of us] would take care of things at home. I tried to not bring any of my concerns and worries into the house.”

Once the war slowed down and governmental budget cuts were in effect in 2010-11, Greg wanted to stay in an Army-related position somewhere. He worked with a civil affairs company in Sanford and signed up with the U.S. Army Reserves before becoming connected with his current position as a recruiter.

The opportunity to be a recruiter in Clearwater was a dream come true for the Burgenstocks, though it became more financially feasible for Greg to drive in each day from their Winter Garden home instead of paying for both an apartment in Clearwater and mortgage at home.

Now Greg regularly visits high schools to administer physical education programs, as well as tell students about the benefits of serving their country in the Army. Occasionally he stays overnight if he has to be in early to a school for a program, but, overall, he is home most nights with his family.

“We like being together, and this is working out better,” Greg said. “It gets tiring [driving], but I enjoy being home.”

Kelly, for one, appreciates having Greg home, especially since her “right hand” Gage just completed basic training and is training at Fort Eustis in Virginia to become a helicopter mechanic. Greg mentioned that Gage told him he wanted to join, which Greg told him to think about for two weeks and come back with his decision.

061616feature02Kelly Burgenstock of Ocoee congratulates her son, Gage, on his recent graduation from basic training.

“Not what a recruiter would usually say,” Greg said with a laugh.

Seth has also expressed interest in being in the Army and plans to join Ocoee High School’s ROTC program. Both Greg and Kelly are proud to see the positive impact that Greg’s service has had on their boys.

They both are thankful for the Army for several things.

For Greg, he learned the value of family time: “Time goes fast, even when you’re not in the military. You have to endure and appreciate the time you do have together.”

For Kelly, she learned the value of perseverance, as she had to wear a brave face while she raised the boys and managed the household for 13 months, staying hopeful for Greg’s safe return. She also understood the importance of asking people for help, which she didn’t take up when Greg was overseas.

061616feature03©giancarlophotography.com

Each of the Burgenstock men — (l. to r.) Seth, Greg and Gage — aspire to keep our country safe.

“What a lot of people don’t understand, from the wife’s perspective, is that we serve, too, along with our families,” Kelly said. “We give up time as well, and we keep that strong faith going, even when we miss our soldiers.”

What she advises military wives and families to do is to ask for help when needed, not to think everything is on their shoulders. As for family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers of military families, don’t hesitate to ask those in armed services if help is needed or take the step to make dinner, pick up their kids at activities, or be there as a listening ear.

“One thing that I find I do have in common with a lot of other Army wives is we don’t know how to ask for help, and if we aren’t on a military base, which we weren’t, you think you can do everything on your own,” Kelly said. “Be consistent and communicate to them, letting them know you are there even to talk; because sometimes all they want is someone to talk to.”

Words cannot do justice for the gratefulness many Americans feel toward men like Greg and his family, who chose to face danger and uncertainty head-on if it meant others’ lives would be a little safer. 💓