914th AW Sergeant, son reunite in warzone

Published May 13, 2011
By Staff Sgt. Andrew Caya
914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION -- War is a powerful phenomenon. It can bring out the best and worst in people. It can divide countries; and just the opposite it: can also bring families together-literally.

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. John Ceccato and his son, U.S. Army Private First Class David Ceccato, managed to find each other during Operation Iraqi Freedom earlier this year. It is something that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for logistics, happenstance, luck and sheer will power of a father and son.

It had been more than a year since Sergeant Ceccato, 914th Maintenance Group Training Manager, deploying as the Education and Test Control Officer to Joint Base Balad Iraq, saw his son. Once the elder Ceccato found out that Private Ceccato was deploying to Basra in Iraq, it was a father's mission to see his boy.

Sergeant Ceccato said he initiated a request to see his son; and after waiting for Air Force and Army leadership to approve the logistics, many phone calls to his son and his infantry company, paperwork and a few minor setbacks; Sergeant Ceccato appeared to be well on his way to see his son.

However, because of delays in paperwork and his father's redeployment date back to the States rapidly approaching , Private Ceccato, an Infantryman in Company A, 3rd Brigade, 112th Cavalry stationed out of Ft. Hood, TX; did not think his father would be coming.

One day the Private was sitting in his quarters in Iraq when his Lieutenant came in and told the young solider that he was required to report to his Company Commander immediately. Private Ceccato admitted to feeling quite nervous on his walk to his headquarters, not fully understanding why he was being summoned.

"I was walking up to the building when a sergeant came up and 'asked are you Ceccato?' and I said 'roger that, Sergeant'. I was told to come with him, so I thought I was going to see someone higher up [in the chain of command] than my company commander," said Private Ceccato. "I was real nervous."

Instead of seeing a highly decorated officer, the private was taken to the nearby plane terminal and the Sergeant put the private's fears to rest. "He told me I wasn't in trouble, I was there just to pick up a package," said Private Ceccato.

After the plane didn't come because of a sand storm, the private asked the sergeant what was on the plane to which the sergeant replied, "It was your dad, we were trying to surprise you."

The next day, Private Ceccato was coming back from an infantry mission outside the wire when he was told to accompany his platoon sergeant to his unit's headquarters.

"I didn't really expect my dad to be there because this was the day he was scheduled to be flying back to the states," said Private Ceccato. "But I walked in and there was my dad, standing there."

"It's kind of odd at age 59 to deploy and see your son over there," said Sergeant Ceccato with a smile.

Sergeant Ceccato received two coins from the 914th Airlift Wing Commander, Col. Allan Swartzmiller, to give to personnel overseas.

"I coined David for good luck when we first saw each other in Iraq," said Sergeant Ceccato.
Sergeant Ceccato, who is set to retire from The Air Force Reserve, had nothing but good things to say about his son's branch of service.

"The Army was very proactive with [this reunion]," said Sergeant Ceccato. The Command Sergeant Major was phenomenal and it goes down the chain from there. A lot of the soldiers were jumping on the bandwagon to see that this meeting was accomplished."

The Army allowed Private Ceccato a day off to catch up with his father after nearly a year of not seeing each other.

More than a year before this war-zone meeting, when David expressed interest in joining the military, Sergeant Ceccato thought that his son would join the same branch that he and his daughter, Master Sgt. Kara Ceccato, a client support administrator at Moody Air Force Base, GA joined.

Despite his family's desire for him to join the Air Force, David joined the Army and became an infantryman, a career path his father embraces after seeing Private Ceccato's platoon in action.

"I was thoroughly impressed with his platoon...they are not only good, they're great," said Sergeant Ceccato. "We don't get a lot of contact with other branches of the service unless we deploy or do joint exercises."

The sergeant stated that the Army has been a great fit for his son. Both he and his wife have seen a dramatic positive change in their son after just one year of being in the service.

"I saw him in the war zone and saw what he actually does. There are not a lot of fathers who can say that," said Sergeant Ceccato. "When I left his platoon I felt so secure knowing he was with the Army...they are so good at what they do, I am proud of him."

Private Ceccato is slated to redeploy back to the United States in early 2012.

A war-zone runion