Two sons of Warwick

Warwick - The youngest sons of Mary Pat and Brian Gillen will spend the holidays overseas in the service of the country. Their father reports that Brendan Gillen is a corporal in the United States Marine Corps, currently serving with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the U.S.S. Iwo Jima in an undisclosed location. A Marine expeditionary unit is the President’s first strike unit in case of a crisis anywhere in the world. Now on his second deployment, Cpl. Gillen is a motor squad leader. His first deployment was to Fallujah in Iraq’s Al Anbar province. His unit is part of the Second Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. His younger brother, Cpl. Timothy Gillen, serves with the Third Amphibious Assault Battalion - First Marine Division based in Twenty Nine Palms, California. His father reports that Tim is stationed in Iraq close to the Syrian border along with two hundred other Marines and a U.S. Navy S.E.A.L. detachment. His first deployment was to the city of Al Asad, also located in Iraq’s Al Anbar province. Both young men have been award the Marine Corps’ highest award (expert) in both rifle and pistol. Both also are graduates of Warwick Valley High School, where they were members of the varsity soccer and track teams. “Both Brendan and Timothy are extremely proud of their service to the U.S.M.C. and their country,” their father said, “as is their entire family.”