Seabee Brothers

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Kenneth Robinson | Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Kevin Burns (l) sits with his brother, Petty Officer 1st Class Stephen Burns at the entrance of Camp R.J., the Seabee camp located at the air base where both are assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27. The Seabees of NMCB 27, also known as the 'Skibees" are deployed to Iraq and other areas in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. The tasking of the Seabees is to conduct Marine Expeditionary Forces directed construction projects for Marines and other units operating in al-Anbar province.  

AL ASAD, IRAQ

11.24.2008

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kenneth Robinson 

Naval Construction Battalion 27

By Petty Officer 2nd Class Kenneth Robinson
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27

AL ASAD, Iraq – Steve Burns was about 10-years-old when his older brother, Kevin, left home to attend college. A year later, Kevin joined the Army and did two tours overseas. That was 35 years ago. Now, Steve lives on the Atlantic coast near the Canadian border and Kevin lives on the Pacific Coast near the Mexican border. Today, both brothers are serving in Al Asad, Iraq attached to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27.

Steve was in NMCB 27, based in Brunswick, Maine, and when his unit was activated around the same time that Kevin was notified that he was going to be called up as an Individual Augmentee, they saw an opportunity to get to know each other again.

"Other than seeing each other for a few days at family reunions every couple of years, we really have not spent much time together since we were kids," said Steve. "This is probably the most time we have had together in over 35 years," added Kevin.

Steve explained, "We had planned to share a room together, but the Skipper was a little nervous about having two brothers in the same can; just in case a mortar round came in."

Kevin chimed in with, "Yeah, we told him that he didn't have to worry because we still have a third brother, but that didn't seem to allay his concerns any."

Kevin is the oldest and Steve is the middle of seven children raised in a middle class family. Their father served in the Chinese Burma India campaign of World War II and the Pusan perimeter fight in the Korean War. Their mom raised the children through difficult times despite being blind since age 11.

"Our parents were a real inspiration to us," said Kevin. "They were very service minded, and were even married on Veteran's Day."

The seven siblings are all spread out now as the two sisters, older than Steve, live in upstate New York, the two sisters younger than Steve, live in Florida and the baby brother lives nearby in Albany, N.Y.

"This is great," said Steve, "we get to see each other every day and eat our meals together. "

"People [in the unit] still get us confused sometimes," said Kevin. "Someone will come along and ask me to fix their computer, and I'll tell them, 'I build stuff; you want my brother Steve.'"

• Date Taken: 11.24.2008
• Date Posted: 11.24.2008 14:49
• Story ID: 26740
• Location: AL ASAD, IQ