Devine, Michael

Bobby Ciarletta

Sergeant

1990-05

1994-10

Involved in Desert Storm, in Saudi Arabia. Activated day after thanksgiving, 1990. Landed Jan 1, 1991.

Mike Devine served in the U.S. Marine Corps from May 1988 to October 1994, something he wanted to do since he was young. In his interview in Mahwah Memories, he described coming to boot camp: “I thought I was prepared for boot camp until I got there. I was a young and naive teenager, thought I knew everything and I thought I couldn’t be broken.” Next, Devine spent time in the Reserves, at Dover, NJ, and he trained on weekends and in the summer. At the time, he attended Montclair State College, where he earned a degree in economics. The following summer, he went to the School of Infantry at Camp Lejeune, NC to be a machine gunner. He also trained at the Mountain Warfare school in California, where he enjoyed the experience of rock climbing, rappelling, and hiking at high altitude.

Soon enough, he was assigned to the Weapons Platoon, in a light infantry company. He was activated the day after Thanksgiving in 1990, for Desert Storm during the Gulf War. On January 1, 1991, he landed in Saudi Arabia. They spent eight weeks in the desert, near the Kuwait border. He said that there were also a lot of funny guys in his unit, and that they played a lot of tricks on each other. As well, the “wonderful people” of the USO were also memorable to him, making his time at the base much better, providing entertainment. Later, his platoon had a 20 year reunion, and all but five members were there.

Devine stayed in service past his contract, and regretted that he never worked in the reserves again, and remembered how it felt leaving his platoon: “It really hit home that I was separating from my team.”

When he returned home, he did have a job as a police officer waiting for him, and also received a hero’s welcome, which he added was unlike the Vietnam vets. Still, he noted that adjusting to the normal world again was difficult:

“When we were overseas and you heard a horn you thought there was a chemical gas attack, so when you are on the street and someone blew their horn you would immediately go for your gas mask and when you didn’t have it you would panic. Little things like that would take time to adjust.”

Still, Devine has been successful since, also graduating from the FBI Academy, and getting a master’s degree in education, admin., and supervision from Seton Hall. As of 2008, he was a Bergen County Police Lt., and head of the SWAT Team and the Police Academy in Mahwah.

A highlight of that year for him was visiting Israel for eight days in September, to see how they deal with threats of terrorism. The UJA Federation of Northern NJ sponsored this trip, part of an exchange program between Israeli and Bergen County first responders. For him, this experience was “beyond my wildest dream.” The group went from Nahariyah in northwest Israel to the Lebanon border. Devine observed the preparedness and pleasantness of security personnel in Israel, and also how they prepare for different holidays.

Another big moment for Devine was earlier, in April 2000. The Bergen County 200 club recognized him because on December 23, 1999, as a Bergen County policeman, he directed an emergency situation by Routes 4 and 17 in Paramus. Vince Mclaughlin crashed his large tanker truck, and it went up in flames and began spilling diesel fuel over the highway. Devine helped save Mclaughlin’s life with the help of a nurse, and worked with another man to direct traffic away from the scene, while parking his car to block the area off - also protecting the many holiday shoppers who were in danger.

Michael Giaquinto, who helped too, said this about Devine: “He did a wonderful job, and he had so many things to take care of. He cleared the road for emergency vehicles to get in, kept other people safe, and he was so caring.”

As of 2018, Mike Devine had been a 20-year resident of Mahwah, along with his wife Kathy and three daughters. He has coached youth sports in town, like his daughter’s softball team. He has also been outspoken in town politics. In the past, he has voiced his opinions in the newspapers, such as supporting John Kelly for a council position, as well as disapproving the location of a weigh station. In 2018, he planned to run in the recall election of the Mayor in Mahwah, but instead gave his support to former Council President, John Roth. Now, he also is a leader of VFW no. 7124.

Wife: Kathy Devine
Has three daughters

Michael Devine, in Lauren Paolillo, ed. Mahwah Military Memories (2017).

Elect Kelly to Mahwah Council, Ramsey Suburban News, p. 10, May 07, 2008.

Daniel Hubbard, Long-Time Resident Mike Devine to Run For Mayor, Aug. 20, 2018, patch.com.