By Lance Cpl. Andrew S. Keirn Capt. David Martino and his son Lance Cpl. Justin Martino stand together as just father and son for the first time since the beginning of their Block I and Block II pre-deployment training with the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment (Reinforced). The two will be deploying together to Iraq.

Seven years after Capt. Martino attained his commission as an officer in the Marine Corps, Justin Martino was born. Baptized on Camp Pendleton, Calif., and brought aboard the ships his father served on, his early years left a lasting impression on Justin that eventually led to him following in his father’s ‘‘yellow” footprints.

At one point during his career in the Marine Corps, Capt. Martino left the Corps for his son and the rest of his family. He took a job in construction and continued working in construction for 15 years before returning to the Corps.

‘‘I felt I had a sense of duty for my family,” the elder Martino said. ‘‘So I decided to get out and concentrate on them. But over time I realized I still had something to contribute and a strong sense of duty that needed to be filled, so I came back in to the Reserves.”

Capt. Martino wondered why his son chose to enlist instead of going to college and then OCS when Justin told him he would be joining the Marine Corps like his old man.

‘‘What’s wrong with being a sergeant?” Justin asked. ‘‘I wasn’t ready for college. The Marine Corps and everything that goes along with being a Marine seemed like a much more appealing life to me. I wanted to serve my country and fight.”

Justin is the third generation of Martino Marines. His grandfather fought with the 5th Marines in Guadalcanal.

When Justin graduated boot camp, Capt. Martino showed up in his physical training gear and ran with him during the motivational run.

Now the Martinos are completing Block I and Block II predeployment training together with 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment (Reinforced). Even though his dad is serving with him, the two of them keep their father-son relationship separate from their Marine Corps relationship.

‘‘I try to keep the relationship quiet and don’t even make eye contact while in the same training area,” Justin said. ‘‘When we’re in uniform, it’s all business. The training comes first.”

In fact throughout their entire time at Camp Upshur, it was not until being interviewed for this article that they had a chance to catch up.

‘‘I have 42 Marines in my platoon who I have to look after,” Capt. Martino said. ‘‘I know he’s got excellent leadership watching over him, and I have trust and confidence that he will be taken care of. As long as he is calling his mom and little sisters, I’m happy.”

With both men of the Martino family getting ready to deploy, the entire family seems to have no concerns.

‘‘My wife understands Marine Corps life,” Capt. Martino said. ‘‘She has learned to be a good sport throughout the years, and she knows her husband and her son are both prepared and taken care of.”

Capt. Martino knows the sacrifices made during a deployment and with the upcoming Iraq tour being Justin’s first, the absence of the rest of his family weighs heavily on him.

‘‘I’m going to miss my little sisters the most,” Justin said. ‘‘I’m really close with my 13-year-old sister, Regina, but it helps knowing my dad will be there with me.”

To the Martinos the job comes first, and that’s being the Marines they chose to be. Family is family, but they both know that there is a time to enjoy each other’s company and there is a time to just be dad and son. Distractions while deployed only get in the way of the overall mission and lead to unwanted mistakes.