Burlington’s Sireno changes military course
By Jason Arndt
Editor
Andrew Sireno’s passion for serving the United States continues even after he left the Army.
Sireno, 32, who finished deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, joined the Air Force with hopes of becoming an Explosive Ordinance Disposal team member.
“I have always wanted to become an Explosive Ordinance Disposal team member and the Army could not provide this goal,” said Sireno, who is taking a preliminary course on the subject in Texas.
“I enjoyed my 12 years in the Army, but wanting to grow and be more involved with explosives…the Air Force was able to provide me with this opportunity.”
Sireno, a former U.S. Army staff sergeant, even took a reduction in rank to achieve his long-term goal.
But, according to Sireno, the self-demotion is worth it “to hopefully become something special.”
Sireno oversaw 8 to 9 soldiers while serving as staff sergeant.
Meanwhile, he has sacrificed his teaching career in the Burlington Area School District. His service also meant time away from his wife, Annie, who is on track to deliver their first child around Christmas.
Family focused
Sireno said he felt compelled to answer his country’s call because his brother, who has children of his own, had previously served two deployments.
He told the Standard Press upon his unit’s second deployment, this time to Iraq for nine months starting in June 2017, that it was an obligation to serve.
“Seeing my brother do it, and others, I should have to do it,” Sireno said in July 2017. “No matter what happens, you have to get up the next day and go to work. You don’t have time to be scared. (But) if you say you’re not scared, you’re lying.”
Upon return from Iraq, he went back to teaching in Burlington for the 2018-19 school year, but looked at options with the Air Force.
Annie Sireno, the head girls varsity volleyball coach at Union Grove, became pregnant earlier this year and expects to have the child in December.
During the summer, while Andrew was in Burlington, he received a call from the Air Force about EOD class openings.
“We knew he was going to training for the Air Force at some point. It was a matter of when he would go based on when they had openings in the class,” Annie said.
“We found out during the summer that he would be leaving for Texas in October.”
Annie, however, said this time was different because Andrew will remain in the United States instead of abroad.
“I knew I was going to be able to see him after the first round of training. He will go back to training in December. I think that goodbye will be a little tougher since the baby will arrive shortly after,” she said.
To read the full story and a related story on the Veterans Day ceremony in Burlington, see the Nov. 14 edition of the Burlington Standard Press.
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