The door of an aircraft opens thousands of feet above the French countryside. Below lies Normandy, the site of one of history's most significant military operations. With a deep breath in and out, Army Staff Sgt. Andrew Torrance prepares for perhaps one of the most meaningful jumps of his life. For this Class of 2015 alum, it was a chance to honor the legacy of those who came before him, including his own grandfather, who fought in Europe during World War II.
Now serving with the famed 173rd Airborne Brigade in Italy, Torrance recently participated in commemorative events marking the anniversary of D-Day. The experience allowed him to retrace history in a deeply personal way.
“It was incredibly humbling and also a lot of fun. Jumping out of an airplane onto the same fields my Grandfather walked through in 1944 was truly incredible,” said Torrance.
While standing on the same ground where Allied forces fought more than 80 years ago was a career highlight, Torrance's path to Normandy began years earlier in Spartan Country.
Torrance was heavily involved throughout his time at Maine-Endwell. He participated in football, wrestling, varsity track, Key Club, Mock Trial, and served as Vice President and President of Action Ecology. Some of his favorite memories include Friday nights under the lights, challenging history courses, and the teachers and coaches who helped shape his future.
“I really miss high school football, advanced placement history (by far my favorite subject) class taught by Mr. Patrick Whoriskey and Mrs. Julie Onnenga-Geronimo. Mr. John Perricone’s health class, Mr. Bill Ocker’s scary coaching presence (Fall 2011 when he had a beard. In 2012 he didn’t have a beard and was less scary for some reason), and Mr. Duane Titus’ hilarious jokes,” said Torrance.
Excelling both on the field and in the classroom, Torrance’s plans following graduation were clear, feeling the call to serve from a young age.
“I enlisted in the Army reserve during the Summer of 2015. I always wanted to join the Military, but I was given advice by many people to go to college,” said Torrance.
So he did a bit of both. While serving in the Army Reserve, Torrance would go on to study at SUNY Cortland. He did this, all while completing Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training for the Combat Engineer Military Occupational Specialty at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Upon graduating from SUNY Cortland in 2019 with a Bachelor's degree, Torrance continued building his military career.
In 2020, he trained as a Joint Fire Support Specialist before being assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia. His assignments have since taken him across the globe, including deployments near the Korean border and throughout Europe in support of NATO operations following the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Along the way, he has served as a Platoon Forward Observer, Army Combatives Teacher, Army Field Historian, and Joint Fires Observer. After graduating from both Air Assault and Airborne schools in early 2024, he received his current assignment with the prestigious 173rd Airborne Brigade and relocated to Italy.
For Torrance, military life rarely follows a predictable schedule, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“There are no typical days. You may find yourself jumping out of an airplane, completing weapons training, or being buried in administrative paperwork for readiness,” said Torrance.
He continued, “The schedule is rapidly changing due to how incredibly busy we are. However, with so much work, I have found a lot of time to visit many parts of Europe and explore while being stationed here in Italy over the last two years.
His service has taken him to the likes of Korea, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Slovenia, Austria, Spain, Ireland, France, The Netherlands, Morocco, Switzerland, Romania, and Luxembourg.
Despite these extraordinary experiences all over the world, Torrance credits many of his successes to the difference-making teachers and coaches in Spartan Country.
“I always give immense credit to many of my high school teachers and sport coaches. Without them, there was a very high chance I would have went down a bad path in life,” said Torrance.
One particular lesson has stayed with him throughout his life.
“When I was hanging with a bad crowd in middle school, I did something stupid which led to a coach and mentor of mine Mr. John Frieser to tell me he was very disappointed in me. That summer between 8th and 9th grade, I was very upset about my current life choices and took it personally to turn my life around to not disappoint coaches that I looked up to again,” said Torrance.
Looking back, he credits mentors like Frieser and countless others at Maine-Endwell for helping shape the person he is today.
“Mrs. Rachel Murat worked very diligently outside of her office hours to even help me with college processes during my senior year. Academically I had to work very hard in Math. Luckily, I had a great teacher and coach Mr. Duane Titus, to teach me lessons not just in education, but life itself. Mr. Ben Amorese was a great teacher and coach, but the man has excellent comedy above everything else. Mr. Matt Gallagher and Mr. Gary Crooks provided insight and mentorship you honestly can’t find in most of the world,” said Torrance.
As the Class of 2026 prepares to begin their own journeys, Torrance offers a simple piece of advice.
“Enjoy it while it lasts. Make sure to have some good laughs with Mr. Titus, to boot.”
From the Maine-Endwell gridiron to the skies above Normandy, Andrew Torrance's journey is a testament to the power of mentorship, service, and honoring the legacy of those who came before us.