TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Working on a C-5 Galaxy mission out of state, he is told his wife is in labor. Upon hearing this, he excitedly gets ready and hops on the next flight back home.
He’s hoping the flight from McChord AFB, Washington, will arrive at Travis AFB in time to witness his first son enter the world.
This is how Bryan Burns, a retired U.S. Air Force chief master sergeant, who is now a 60th Operations Support Squadron contracting officer’s representative, described what it took for him to be present for his child’s birth.
“I’m originally from Chicago, and joined the U.S. Air Force in 1982,” said Bryan. “I served as a flight engineer for 25 years at Travis AFB and Scott AFB, Illinois. I became a father about four years into my first enlistment.”
When Bryan arrived at the delivery room he said there were only moments to spare before his son was born.
“Friends and relatives were waiting at every door and hallway to direct me to the room where my wife was,” Bryan said. “When I finally arrived at the right location I saw the very top of my son’s head. The nurse threw scrubs at me and said, ‘You have 60 seconds to get them on and follow us to delivery.’”
Three minutes later Bryan and Roxann Lynch-Burns, his wife, welcomed their son Mathew into the world. He was born at 9 p.m. after six hours of labor and weighed 9 pounds.
“The moment my son was born was quite surreal, but made even more so by the whirlwind of events from the day,” said Bryan. “Teams of people worked so hard so I could be present for one exceptional moment; it was quite overwhelming. No matter what magnificent things may occur in the years I have left, the birth of my two sons will always be my absolute greatest accomplishments.”
Bryan, who became a father of two in 1987, is the second generation in his family to join the armed forces but that’s not where the military lineage ends.
Bryan’s first son Mathew, served as a 9th Air Refueling Squadron flight engineer after joining the Air Force in 2008. He separated from the service in 2016 as a staff sergeant.
Bryan’s second son, Josh, 79th ARS pilot, joined the Air Force in 2007 as a 6th ARS boom operator and separated from the service in 2015. He returned to the service in April 2019 and is currently serving as a second lieutenant.
“I always hoped my boys would find their way into something they enjoyed as much as I loved the Air Force, but I also wanted their career choices to be their own,” said Bryan. “When they were small, I never imagined that the three of us would someday be members of the 60th Operations Group, serving in the same uniform at the same time.”
Bryan said he sees so much of himself in his sons, and couldn’t be more proud.
“Attending my sons’ graduation ceremonies were two of the proudest moments of my life,” said Bryan. “Watching them get started on a path I enjoyed so much was almost like getting a second chance to do it all over again. Seeing them in uniform for the first time was something I’ll never forget.”
Josh was interested in joining the military since he was a child.
“Growing up I always wanted to be in the military,” said Josh. “Both my grandfathers served, as did my father. As a kid, I spent a lot of time around my dad's squadrons and loved the dynamic that is unique to the crews on aircraft. I joined the Air Force out of high school as a KC-10 boom operator. I was assigned to the KC-10 at Travis. I am currently completing pilot training and plan to return to Travis AFB.”
Josh said his father had a profound impact on him, and recalled a distinct memory from his childhood.
“In the mid-2000s, my dad came back from his last deployment,” he said. “We went out to the jet to welcome him and the others home. I remember being so proud seeing my dad walk down from the jet in his desert flight suit with all the other men and women coming home. That was among many moments in my life that I realized how awesome my dad is.”
Josh added his pride and love for his dad and said, “He absolutely is the greatest man I have ever known and like most sons, as a kid, I wanted to be just like him,”
The feeling of pride is mutual for Bryan. He said, being a military father of two children is special.
“I’m very proud of both my sons for serving in the same Air Force that I grew to love so much,” he said. “I like to take a few minutes to reflect on my two greatest gifts every Father’s Day.”