James M. McKeon

James M. McKeon served in the United States Marine Corps from 1992 to 1996 before joining the New Jersey Army National Guard in 1996. Throughout his military career, he served with several units, including India Company, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force; Bravo Company, 114th Infantry Battalion; Alpha Company, 250th Signal Battalion; the 50th Chemical Company; and the 2nd Surveillance Intelligence Group. McKeon served during Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Iraqi Freedom III. His military experiences would eventually bring him from Marine Corps service to the New Jersey Army National Guard, where he not only served overseas but also assisted New Jersey communities during emergencies at home. 

McKeon’s interest in the military was influenced by both his family and the events he witnessed as a young man. His father served in the Navy during the Cold War in the 1950s, while his uncle served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. During Operation Desert Storm, McKeon was a college student at Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York, studying Biology. Although he did not serve during the conflict, seeing the Marines during Desert Storm contributed to his decision to enlist. In 1992, McKeon joined the US Marine Corps and received the MOS 5711, a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Specialist.

McKeon completed boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, in August 1992. He described the experience as one of the hardest and most intense things he had ever done; however, one of the biggest challenges was adjusting from civilian life to military life. McKeon had to move from the relative freedom of civilian life into an environment centered around discipline, structure, and following orders. He considered this transition and his time in the Marine Corps to have been very formative experiences in his life.

After completing boot camp, McKeon attended Marine Combat Training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He then attended his MOS school at Fort McClellan, Alabama, where he continued his training as a Chemical Defense Specialist. One of his responsibilities there involved maintaining the training room and equipment used for gas attack training. This work prepared him for the possibility of nuclear, biological, and chemical threats and became an important part of his early military career.

In 1995, McKeon spent a year stationed at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, Japan. During his time there, he noticed tension between American Marines and Japanese civilians. This would also be his final year in the Marine Corps. After leaving Okinawa, McKeon went to Camp Pendleton, California, and spent the remainder of his enlistment on terminal leave before returning to New Jersey and beginning his civilian career.

After leaving the Marine Corps, McKeon began working in a laboratory and started his career with Johnson & Johnson in Freehold, New Jersey. His military career, however, was not over. In 1996, he joined the New Jersey Army National Guard, while continuing to work as a civilian. McKeon continued his work with them in Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Defense by conducting NBC classes.

In 1998, McKeon received an opportunity to join Alpha Company, 250th Signal Battalion, New Jersey Army National Guard, in a sergeant position. The unit was based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and he remained there until 2004. His National Guard service became particularly important following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. McKeon participated in security duties, which included guarding the George Washington Bridge and the Lincoln Tunnel.

McKeon’s service eventually took him overseas when he deployed to Iraq in 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Before leaving the United States, his unit trained at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. From there, they flew to Camp Arifjan in Kuwait before entering Iraq, where their group was replacing the 1st Infantry Division. By this point, McKeon had changed his MOS and was serving with the Signal Battalion as a Small Extension Node Operator, essentially working as a switchboard operator and helping maintain military communications.

McKeon served in Iraq from November 2004 until October 2005, spending much of his deployment at Camp Speicher and traveling to Forward Operating Base Danger. He recalled that tensions were high and that there were strict rules of engagement. Although his position kept him relatively removed from major combat operations, McKeon experienced indirect-fire attacks while deployed. His responsibilities placed him in a different position from infantry soldiers, giving him a perspective on the war that centered more on maintaining communications than direct combat.

One of the benefits of working in communications was that McKeon was able to maintain regular contact with his family. He was often able to speak with his mother every day, while Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR) centers provided soldiers with computers that allowed them to email and communicate with their families through services such as Skype. Care packages from organizations and individuals in the United States also helped soldiers remain connected to home. This was especially meaningful to McKeon because he had only been married for a few months when he deployed to Iraq, making the separation from his wife particularly difficult.

While deployed, McKeon also experienced the everyday aspects of life on an overseas military base. He remembered USO entertainment, including a visit from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) performers, as well as the presence of Third Country Nationals who worked on the bases, particularly in the dining facilities. There were relatively few Iraqis working on the base as civilian employees. Although McKeon was largely removed from major combat, these experiences gave him an understanding of the environment in which American service members lived and worked during the deployment.

After completing his deployment, McKeon returned to the United States and went to Fort Drum, New York, in October 2005 for post-deployment processing. On November 7, his unit was transported to Fort Dix, New Jersey, where they participated in a welcome-home ceremony before returning to Cherry Hill. His return marked the end of his Iraq deployment, but his service with the New Jersey National Guard would continue to provide opportunities to assist communities within the state.

One of the most significant examples came during Superstorm Sandy. At the time, McKeon was serving with the 50th Chemical Company when the unit was mobilized and reported to its armory in Somerset, New Jersey. Over the following two weeks, he and many members of his company assisted New Jersey residents affected by the storm. One of their missions brought them to Sea Girt, where they helped secure and transport the New Jersey National Guard Militia Museum’s historic weapons after the storm compromised the museum’s normal security. The weapons were transported to a secure vault until the museum could be repaired. McKeon and other members of his unit also transported cots from FEMA at the Somerset Armory to other armories so they could be distributed to people who needed them.