Marine reunites with family

Published Jan. 16, 2012
By Senior Airman Lynsie Nichols
376th Airlift Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan -- During a deployment, most people don't get the chance to see their family, but one lucky Marine got to see his.... twice.

On his way to and from a deployment in Afghanistan, Marine Lance Cpl. Casey McFall had the opportunity to meet with his family while processing through the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Jan. 14.

"It was really great coming home to my family," said Casey. "This is the most I've been able to see them since I left for the States to pursue college."

McFall and his family moved to Uzbekistan from the United States when he was six years old. Seven years later, they moved to Kyrgyzstan to teach English as a second language to children at orphanages.

"We were able to give these children the opportunity to excel, an opportunity that they would not normally have," said Allen McFall, Casey's father.

It was while teaching English to children at orphanages that the McFall family met the director of Friends of Children Orphanage in Sukuluk.

"We were working with (the director) for five months before he asked us to take over the orphanage for him," said Cheryl McFall. "We agreed and have been there ever since."

While growing up, Casey helped his family in the orphanage, playing with the kids and teaching them English. When he graduated high school, his family decided it would be a good idea for him to go back to America for college.

After he finished one semester of school, Casey decided to join the U.S. Marine Corps.

"I decided it would be better to join the military to get my degree and have money saved rather than be in debt," Casey said.

Once Casey joined the Marine Corps, he was assigned to the 2nd Radio Battalion as a crypto linguist at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Upon finding out that he would be passing through Kyrgyzstan on the way to a deployment in Afghanistan, he researched how he could visit with his family.

"I called my parents and told them I would be coming through Kyrgyzstan," Casey said. "They started working around the clock for a way to meet up with me."

Allen was able to get in touch with a Marine who works at the United States Embassy in Bishkek.

"There were people from the Embassy that knew us from our work with the orphanages," Allen said. "They put us in touch with Staff Sgt. Miranda and he got things worked out for us."

The family was reunited for the first time in three years.

"It was so great to see him after all this time," Cheryl said.

Jump forward six months and Casey found himself in a situation to see them again.

"I knew, and my family knew, that I was coming back through Kyrgyzstan, so we called the same people who helped us out the first time," Casey said.

The family had the chance for their second reunion.

"We've always been really close growing up, so it's awesome to be able to see him on his way to Afghanistan and on the way back to the states," said Cody McFall, Casey's brother.