Good Morning,

By way of introduction, I'm Pete Berezuk... I grew up in Buffalo, NY and attend college in Rochester, NY. While I was in school I started my military career and an enlisted Marine Reservist (0311- Rifleman), after graduating from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) with a degree in Electricl Engineering, I decided to become a full time Marine after 5 years of part time service. I was selected to attend the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School and completed it during 1996. After that I was trained as Air Defense Controller and served seven years in various fleet assignements in Okinawa, North Carolina and seperate combat tours in Uzbekistan (2002) and Iraq (2003). After that I was assigned as an instructor for Forward Air Controllers for four years and that included a scond Iraq Tour in 2005. In 2007, I left active duty to pursue a career as a government contractor. I am still a serving officer in the Marine Corps Reserve.

I'm from Ukrainian (father's side) and Irish (mother's side) backgrounds. In the case of my father's family they emigrigrated during the later 19th Century, while my mother's family emigrated during the early 19th century, mostly during the period of the potato famine. In 2006 I realized that I was spending most of my life tied to something electonic, both at work and leisure. I'd always loved history and looked in to civil war reenacting as an escape from the modern world and means to become closer to the real impact my ancestors had in making our nation.

I started with a small unit in Hampton Roads call the 79th NYSV. They whetted my appetite for more and after searching, I found the 69th NYSV Historical Association and also the Tidewater Maritime Living History Association (TMLHA). These units provide me an outlet for my two primary impressions, NY Irish Brigade and United States Marine.

I expect my membership in the Tramp Brigade will help me further increase my knowledge of my new adopted state of South Carolina. My personal areas of interest are company drill / skirmish drill, material culture and period writing. I've started sewing my own shirts and jackets and look forward to making a SC Frock for myself and helping those I can along the way.

My thanks to Greg and Brian for taking the time and welcoming me off the electonic board and into the Tramp Brigade...

sincerely,

Pete Berezuk