It's a long way from Somalia to Keene, New Hampshire, and it's also a long way from the Marine Corps' anti-terrorist unit to Division III baseball. Kelly Charbono, who's preparing for the beginning of his senior year at Keene State College, has made both journeys.

Charbono, 29, known affectionately as "Gramps" or "Pops" by his teammates, knows that nothing he sees on campus or on the baseball field will be as traumatic as what he saw serving in Somalia in the early 1990s while he was part of Operation Restore Hope.

"It was the best and the worst time of my life," Charbono said. "We got shot at every day, and I saw people die every day."

Charbono had gone straight from high school into the Marine Corps, and he worked as a sniper and a scout, ultimately achieving the rank of corporal in the Marines before completing his enlistment. When he was discharged from the Marines, Charbono worked at a factory for three years, again learning a lot in the school of hard knocks. He also started coaching junior-high sports, and he ultimately decided to go to college and pursue a degree in physical education.

"I loved working with kids," Charbono said.

Charbono has been the Owls' starting catcher and co-captain the past two years. Last year, he earned all-Little East Conference honorable-mention recognition, and he had five home runs, 29 RBIs and a .301 batting average. Not bad for the resident "old guy."

He's also served as a resident assistant at a Keene State dormitory and as a student assistant coach for the Keene State women's basketball team.

"He knows what it's like to work for things," said Keene State baseball coach Ken Howe. "Nothing's been handed to him. He's had to work hard for everything he's got, and he does a good job at it."

Charbono doesn't mind being called "Fossil" by kids a decade his junior, nor does he mind that he's older than some of the team's assistant coaches. Not surprisingly, the same Kelly Charbono who once led a squad of 15 Marines in Somalia doesn't mind leading the Owls as co-captain, either.

Charbono plans to complete his degree this year and start a new career coaching high-school or junior-high kids. He just might have a few inspirational stories to share with them.