Off To Iraq

Mike Burke
Cumberland Times-News

June 08, 2007 11:56 am

— CUMBERLAND - Allegany High School head football coach Tom Preaskorn has received his orders and will serve in the Iraqi war as a major in the West Virginia Army National Guard.
Preaskorn, who received word of his deployment Wednesday, will report to Fort McCoy, Wis., on June 25 where he will train for approximately 30 to 40 days before his departure to Iraq.
"I'm really not at liberty to give you too many details," Preaskorn said Thursday afternoon, "because, frankly, I'm not sure of the details of what we'll be doing."
Stationed in Charleston, Preaskorn has served in the Army National Guard for 18 1/2 years and is trained to fly helicopters.
"There are mixed emotions, certainly," Preaskorn said of receiving his deployment orders. "When you enlist, you understand this is always a possibility, but I've always felt a strong commitment to this country. It's an honor to serve in the military and I'm proud to serve in Iraq.
"On the other hand, it's awfully hard to leave the family."
Preaskorn and his wife, Diane, are the parents of five children: Hunter, 8; Parker, 6; Toby, 4; Samantha, 2; and Andy, 2 months. Diane Preaskorn served as a captain in the Air National Guard out of Martinsburg, W.Va.
"But she got out when we started having multiple kids," Preaskorn said with a laugh.
Preaskorn's older brothers are also serving their country, as Bill Preaskorn is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, and Jim Preaskorn a chief warrant officer in the Army.
"All three of us are military," said Preaskorn. "It's something my older brothers and I are very proud of, and it's something we're honored to do."
As Preaskorn will be serving in Iraq for one year, his longtime friend and assistant coach Tim Foley has been named interim head coach of the Allegany football team, in charge of defense. Former Allegany head coach and current assistant Tim Kane will be in charge of the Campers' offense.
"Tim Foley will do a great job as interim head coach," said Preaskorn. "He has head coaching experience in all sports and he has had success. He has always been my go-to man since we've been coaching together, so I'm going to him again until I get back home.
"Tim Kane has a great knowledge on the offensive side of the football. We have such a great coaching staff here at Allegany that it will be a great fit."
In fact, it has been a great fit for the Allegany football program since Preaskorn became the school's 13th head coach Jan. 5, 2004.
A 1982 graduate of Allegany, Preaskorn's return to his alma mater as head coach saw the Campers hit a record of 10-3 and advance to the Maryland Class 1A semifinals. In 2005, the Campers ran the table to win the 1A state title, becoming the first football team in Western Maryland history to go 14-0, with Preaskorn being the recipient of the 2005 Coca-Cola Golden Helmet Coach of the Year Award. Last year, Allegany was 9-3 and advanced to the West Region championship game, giving Preaskorn a 33-6 record as the Alco head coach.
Preaskorn graduated from Shepherd (W.Va.) University in 1987 and served as the head football coach at Keyser High for seven seasons, guiding the Golden Tornado to a 54-25 record and five West Virginia state playoff berths.
The 1981 Defensive Football Player of the Year and a first-team Times-News All-Area linebacker for Coach Jim Refosco's 8-2 Campers, Preaskorn was a first-team All-Area guard as a junior on Allegany's Maryland Class B state championship team that went 12-0.
At Shepherd, Preaskorn played under head coaches Walter Barr and Mike Jacobs, starting at linebacker his sophomore and junior seasons. He missed most of his senior season with a hamstring injury, but returned to the Rams' lineup for the playoffs.
Mike Burke can be reached at mburke@times-news.com.

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