Move to U.S., National Guard service give fresh start for Irish immigrant

By: Bill Phelan
Missouri National Guard Public Affairs


FESTUS, Mo. - Few words have to leave the mouth of Spc. Michael O'Callaghan before one realizes that he is not your typical American Soldier.

In fact, it wasn't too long ago that O'Callaghan was not an American at all.

A native of Ireland, O'Callaghan and his wife left Europe in August 2007 for a better life in the U.S. Although immigrating to America was a big step for O'Callaghan, it was a homecoming for his spouse.

"My wife is from Decatur, Ill.," said O'Callaghan. "I met her in Ireland while she was on vacation, and she ended up staying for seven years. But it was way too expensive to live in Ireland, so we decided to go to America."

Having worked in Ireland as an electrician, O'Callaghan initially planned on continuing that profession but ultimately opted for a fresh start.

"I thought coming to American would be a good opportunity to change careers," O'Callaghan said. "So I did some research on the Army and found out they offered tuition assistance and decided to go into the medical field."

Now O'Callaghan, 36, is an American citizen, a combat medic with the 1138th Engineer Company, and a candidate for the 1140th Engineer Battalion's Soldier of the Year.

Joining the military can be daunting, especially for someone in their 30s. But O'Callaghan proved more than up to the challenge and found he was able to outrun many of the 17 and 18-year olds in training. Perhaps more surprising, though, was the immediate acceptance he found in the Army.

"I was really surprised at how welcomed I was by the U.S. military," O'Callaghan said. "It's very cosmopolitan. I went to basic training with a mesh of cultures - guys from as far away as Guam and Puerto Rico. But once you put that uniform on, you're just a Soldier like everybody else and you're treated the same. It was awesome."

That's not to say that O'Callaghan did not stand out in the crowd.

"I got some stuff from the drill sergeants about my accent, but I fully expected that," he said with a grin.

When told he was a candidate for Soldier of the Year, O'Callaghan was shocked.

"I was totally surprised," he said. "In another country, if you were foreign, they'd never consider you for something like that. But that shows the character of the Army. Everybody is the same."

His Guard career also reflects his new civilian vocation.

"I'm also an emergency medical technician in civilian life and I'm enrolled in nursing school," he added. "That's what I love about America. If you're willing to work hard, there's nothing you can't do here. "

Upon graduation from nursing school, O'Callaghan plans on seeking an officer's commission and making the National Guard a part of his life for years to come.

"I have not one regret about joining the military," O'Callaghan said. "Once I become a registered nurse I am hopefully going to become an officer in the National Guard and then I'm going to stay in until they kick me out basically. The military has been excellent to me. If someone were coming to America and asked me about a career, I would tell them that the military is the way to go."

O'Callaghan and his wife have two small children and live in St. Louis.


For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-888-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.